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Post by niftyshark on Aug 3, 2019 20:25:20 GMT -6
The cold air was biting, even though snow had yet to majorly fall. Lines of frost covered the trees and ground, and the grass crunched with every step. Aurorapaw walked alongside her mentor, shivering despite her thick pelt. Her head felt fuzzy and she could barely smell at all with her nose as stuffy as it was. She was practically useless being out on the territory as she was, but she was so close to becoming a warrior. It was the least she could do to prove herself worthy of an assessment and a ceremony.
They walked far away from camp, close to the outland border. She didn’t know what they were doing so far out, but by this point Aurorapaw knew not to question Rowanmask on it. The purpose of whatever they did was always revealed at some point, and she didn’t think now would be any different.
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Post by theatricals on Aug 10, 2019 14:27:39 GMT -6
It was rare that Rowanmask would want to be out so far, but the leaf-bare chill had been brutal enough to drive her to it. Her limbs were aching and she felt a fatigue that came from more than just regular hunting and patrolling. The argument she had had with Coyotestorm was still fresh in her mind, and while she desperately wanting to throw it away and forget entirely, it was nearly impossible for a mind like hers to do so. Her claws dug into the snow as she walked, and she barely spoke, something that wasn't always unusual for her, but still rather off given the circumstances. She needed to get away from the camp--far enough to where the cold air on her face would shock her into the present. So far it hadn't done much at all, but her denial ran deep enough that she could trick herself into thinking it would eventually.
"We're almost done here," she said as she came to a sudden stop. "Your assessment is days away, and I can't teach you much else." They had never had a strong relationship, the two of them, but there was still a part of Rowanmask that wanted the respect that a mentor and apprentice should have.
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Post by niftyshark on Aug 19, 2019 19:45:04 GMT -6
The silence wasn’t much out of the ordinary, and Aurorapaw’s thoughts were looping around the nature of her assessment, so she didn’t broach any topic for conversation. She sniffled, moping on how sick she felt and how cold it was. All she wanted was her nest. Her assessment could go away. She didn’t want to focus on it right now.
Rowanmask brought up the very topic, after an age and a half of silence, and she mentally sighed. “My training is almost done,” she acknowledged. “Then... well, why are we out here?” While she did know not to question her mentor’s intentions, it felt safe to ask the question given how the topic was brought up. “I think at this point that I would learn more in my nest.” Her attempt at humor was half-hearted, mostly from the bouts of shivers and held-back sneezes.
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Post by theatricals on Aug 23, 2019 20:05:53 GMT -6
Rowanmask glanced at her, acknowledging the attempt to make a joke, but she didn't respond immediately. If it had been a different day, she may have appreciated it more, but her mind was on other things. Funnily enough, she chose to take her apprentice out to try and clear it rather than just staying in her nest. There was a part of her that wished she had done the latter, but there had to be a better reason to be out here, right? "I had wondered if I might come across my brother," she said. It was close to a lie, as it had been a while since she gave serious thought to Hawkstrike, but he was still there, whether she wanted him to be or not. It gave her more of a reason to be out here, rather than just dragging Aurorapaw out because she was afraid to be alone with her thoughts. Would that not make her seem pathetic?
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Post by niftyshark on Aug 31, 2019 17:04:20 GMT -6
Aurorapaw’s expression soured even more. “Hawkstrike? He’s gone. Him and Azurepaw.” Her tone was distant. She never got to really know him before he vanished in search of Azurepaw. She had to wonder, if they stayed with Ivorysky as outsiders, would they still be together? Would Azurepaw be missing, possibly dead? Probably not. She didn’t blame RavenClan though. The wilds were dangerous—she had full knowledge of that since her youngest days were spent as an outsider. “You aren’t going to find him again. There’s no point in thinking about him,” she said bitterly. “Did you need to bring me here with the thought that you might find him? Like you said, I’ve learned almost everything, so I know I’m not out here for training.” While she didn’t question Rowanmask anymore since they usually had a purpose, this time she knew there was no legitimate one, so she questioned pointedly.
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Post by theatricals on Aug 31, 2019 17:27:19 GMT -6
In any other circumstance, she may have appreciated Aurorapaw's honesty. It was more than other cats may give her. She wasn't in denial, nor was she truly hoping to find her brother--but the morbid sense of curiosity she felt was most certainly not sane. It would have been normal for her to snap back at Aurorapaw after her second comment, and even in her head she could hear the words "impatient brat," but the willingness she felt to actually speak them was not strong enough. Just having someone near was enough to render her silent, but the scent that drifted around her was enough to stop her cold. "Go back to camp, then," she almost growled, although she sounded distant, as though she wasn't even focused on her apprentice anymore. "I can finish things here." She sounded dismissively, but the undertones of her statement very clearly said that, right now, she did not want Aurorapaw around.
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Post by niftyshark on Aug 31, 2019 17:56:09 GMT -6
Leafbare was hard. It was hard in a clan, and it was even harder out by herself. Her only saving grace was her white pelt. Still, she was skinny and far from properly nourished. She walked with a strong limp and her body ached from wounds that didn’t heal properly. She was lucky to survive Eira’s claws. Her chance at surviving seemed uncertain, and it was miraculous that she didn’t die under a tree somewhere.
Partly out of desperation, and partly because she was curious, Ivorysky found herself by the RavenClan border. She was hoping for a glance of her kits... how were they? She wanted to believe that they were doing well with the clan. It would have been hard for them in the outlands.
——
Aurorapaw looked at Rowanmask in irritation. She wanted to go back, but her dismissal almost seemed like a challenge. “Fine,” she said through her teeth. I’ll go.” She walked until she was out of sight, then sat behind a tree and waited. Something seemed off, and she wanted to know what.
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Post by theatricals on Aug 31, 2019 18:12:11 GMT -6
The longer she waited, the more nauseated Rowanmask felt. She would have preferred to never have to have this confrontation, but there was a time for everything, and StarClan had chosen now. Slinking down the short slope that they had stood upon, she moved through the trees until she could catch the scent's path. It wasn't long before her eyes caught what her nose already had. They narrowed quickly, and without any semblance of grace, she stepped out into the open to confront the cat who had ruined everything. "You shouldn't have come back," she growled, limbs tense. It would not take much to spark a fight, but she held back, wanting to hear the words of the traitor before she clawed them out of her.
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Post by niftyshark on Aug 31, 2019 20:01:39 GMT -6
Of course, it would have been too much to hope that she’d run into her kits. Instead it had to be the one cat she never wanted to see again. Ivorysky shook her head before she looked at her positioning in comparison to Rowanmask’s. She wasn’t trespassing, so that wouldn’t be an excuse. Though Ivorysky knew that Rowanmask didn’t even need an excuse to attack her.
“Oh. It’s you,” she said blandly. “I’m not coming back. I just wanted to glimpse my kits and see if they were adjusting. I imagine there’s nothing wrong with that, especially since RavenClan is two cats stronger because of it.” They had to be old enough to be warriors or close to it by now. There was no way they couldn’t be fine, especially if Hawkstrike was there for them. She sat down to hide the way her body shook, separate from the cold entirely.
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Post by theatricals on Sept 18, 2019 22:19:01 GMT -6
Rowanmask's brows creased, as though she was trying to see something from far away. The way she spoke was strange, and it suddenly hit her that she had said "kits." The truth of what happened to Hawkstrike and Azurepaw hadn't reached her, and Rowanmask's initial assumptions were swept away to be replaced by pure suspicion. If they hadn't gone back to Ivorysky, where had they gone? And why would the traitor choose now of all times to come and "check in"?
"They're fine," she said back, voice steady while her body quivered. It was strange, feeling the icy calm that washed over her, but she knew better than to think the shaking in her body was from the cold. Suppressing emotions--especially negative--had never been her strong suit, and even if she sounded fine, the anger and stress was clear from the way she stood and faced her. "They're just fine. They're learning the Warrior Code--just as I imagine you were, too. Maybe they'll actually be loyal," she hissed.
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Post by niftyshark on Dec 18, 2019 0:39:06 GMT -6
Rowanmask’s answer was not one that relieved Ivorysky. In fact, it made things worse for her. The she-cat had no reason to be honest with her, especially in the case of their wellbeing. She bristled and made no effort to hide it. “I need more to go off of than fine. The more you answer, the faster I go away.” It was the only thing she could think of to entice Rowanmask. Ivorysky desperately wanted details, and she was anxious that this would be her only moment to get them.
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Post by theatricals on Dec 18, 2019 0:49:52 GMT -6
"They're fine," Rowanmask repeated, as though her "new" answer would satisfy her more. Even if she worked for it, Rowanmask couldn't see herself ever being willing to give her a straight answer. Her stomach tightened as the rest of her body tensed, recognizing that even without saying it directly, Ivorysky was threatening her. Unless she gave her what she wanted, she wouldn't be leaving. "They're healthy, and they're good warriors. They didn't take after you, but certainly not after my brother, either." The last was certainly a barb at Hawkstrike, but not one Ivorysky would know the meaning behind. Her brother, the coward, who decided that following after another disloyal cat was more important than serving his Clan as their deputy. It was deep within her, the love for her family, but the disloyalty of them left her without anyone to rely on. That in itself was enough for her to refuse Ivorysky the ability--and some might say the right--to know about her kits.
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Post by niftyshark on Dec 19, 2019 9:02:00 GMT -6
“You have no reason to be honest with me,” Ivorysky growled. “For all I know, they could be dead. It’s not like you would tell me that.” After all, Rowanmask was an attempted murderer, even if RavenClan didn’t know that. Maybe Rowanmask did something to them and covered it up? The clan wouldn’t know the difference—and would they care? She always thought the clan was safer, but... what if it wasn’t? Did she send her kits to their deaths either way?
She clenched her teeth. “Why don’t you get Ashenstar then? The leader you think you serve isn’t as great as she appears. Her circumstances aren’t too different from mine, actually, though I suppose in your blind loyalty to RavenClan, you wouldn’t know that.” The leader was obviously going to be biased, but in this circumstance Ivorysky believed Ashenstar would be more honest. Anyone than Rowanmask, really.
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Post by theatricals on Dec 21, 2019 19:59:04 GMT -6
Rowanmask had no way of knowing why the she-cat was bringing her leader into the equation. The statement was vague enough to leave her confused, but the mere fact that she attempted to use her loyalty to her leader--to her Clan--and pit it against her while standing on her territory... it was enough to make her snap. Her body shook, her eyes wild as she considered not for the first time what it would feel like to have her teeth meet the she-cat's neck. Her claws dug into the snow as she stared her down, her body itching to just move. But just as quickly, the cold hit her in a different way, and she could smell blood. It was not a vision, nor has she sustained any wound. Her expression shifted almost in slow motion as she looked down, only to find the snow stained red. No, it wasn't a vision, nor had she entered into a blind rage and taken a swipe at her enemy. That was her blood, and the building fear and pain in her stomach was enough to put her into shock.
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Post by niftyshark on Dec 25, 2019 8:28:33 GMT -6
Ivorysky tensed, fully expecting that Rowanmask was going to leap at her. But it never happened. Instead, blood trickled into the snow under the ruddy she-cat, and Ivorysky stared, dumbfounded. What was happening?
The shudders through Rowanmask’s body was enough to tell her just what was going on after a moment. Ivorysky experienced it before. Rowanmask must have been pregnant, but it was too early. Something was wrong.
...And it wasn’t her problem. It would be better if she disappeared before the commotion inevitably started. She didn’t want to see anyone from RavenClan—or a predator—in this situation. Ivorysky leveled a final cold look at Rowanmask before she vanished into the snowy landscape.
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Post by theatricals on Dec 26, 2019 22:51:17 GMT -6
Ivorysky's disappearance went almost unnoticed by Rowanmask, as she was finding it particularly hard to breathe. Even with the cold air pressing against her lungs, she could tell very well that she could get enough oxygen if she wanted to; but the trickle of blood running down her leg into the snow was only a warning, and the sharp pains throughout her abdomen told her that everything was going wrong, and she was in full knowledge of it.
Her movements were stiff and unfocused as she turned around, her slow gate turning into a limp as she moved, unwilling to make more than a few short, shuffled steps at a time. Every one made her heartbeat echo in her ears, and she could feel the loss running through her, just as much mentally as physically. She wouldn't think about it. Sudden regret washed over her, that she had sent her apprentice away, that she was probably the only cat she could rely on even if Aurorapaw didn't like her much. The cold stung even more as she sucked in a breath, holding back a burst of emotion as she struggled towards home.
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Post by niftyshark on Dec 29, 2019 7:59:04 GMT -6
Coyotestorm walked through the rolling hills without much thought. The cold air burned his lungs and the wind stung his face, but that was how he wanted it right now. The physical discomfort kept him from sinking too far into his mental battlefield, kept him from growing too frustrated.
How many moons passed that he couldn’t forget? Why couldn’t he just get better already? How long did he have to suffer for?
Maybe it was life’s cruel way of telling him he amounted to nothing. That his acts of defiance were in vain. That he shouldn’t waste his time getting close to anyone.
It was easier to distract himself. He crested one snowy hill, then another. Just as he saw pine trees in the distance, he scented blood. It made him pause, and he looked around for the source. He spied a lone figure in the distance and narrowed his eyes. Perhaps from there? Coyotestorm slowly trudged his way over. Was it a clanmate? As he closed some of the distance, he realized it was, and not just any clanmate. It was Rowanmask.
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Post by theatricals on Dec 29, 2019 14:45:44 GMT -6
The drops of blood that painted the snow could easily have been attributed to a piece of prey, or even a minor injury. But the farther she walked, the more it built up, and it came to a point where returning to camp no longer seemed viable. With enough determination, she could have surely made it, but she wasn't a mouse-brain. She knew what was happening, and in a state of anger and betrayal, this was just one more thing that she couldn't handle.
She slumped into a sitting position, one of her legs poking out at an awkward angle, as she attempted to breathe. It wasn't much use, however, as everything felt like it was crashing down together, and that only put another strain on her tired lungs. The sound of movement through the snow was the only thing that caught her attention, and she couldn't even feel the shock when she realized it was Coyotestorm approaching her. "Hi," she murmured mutely. She hadn't lost enough blood to lose her senses, but the turmoil in her mind left it slow and unresponsive.
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Post by niftyshark on Dec 30, 2019 7:35:54 GMT -6
The first immediate instinct he had was to turn away and leave. He and Rowanmask hadn’t spoken since their fight. Was it a quarter moon ago? He wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure he even wanted to speak to Rowanmask right now. It would be easy to leave.
And harder to stay. Coyotestorm worked his jaw, eyes still narrowed as he considered the she-cat further. Was she trying to forget what happened between them? Her greeting seemed off though, or at least different from what he knew. What he thought he knew. And didn’t he smell blood just a moment ago?
“What’s wrong with you?” It was the first thing he said to her in a while, but he wasn’t thinking about that. Looking her up and down, he couldn’t place what was off, but something was, and it was starting to annoy him.
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Post by theatricals on Dec 30, 2019 12:54:01 GMT -6
Had she been of sound mind, Rowanmask may have simply ignored him or at the least turned away, but embarrassment had escaped her now, and she was left feeling nothing but the need to speak--something, ironically, that she felt incapable of doing. "I think..." she started, bending low as she felt the discomfort clench her stomach. She had received worse battle wounds, but this felt all the worse. "...I think I just lost my kits." Her kits--the kits she had no idea existed until now, yet she felt the loss all of the same. The empty feeling was the most unbearable.
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