Jaws clamped around the small circumference of a rabbit's neck and gradually was pulled off the top of the Fresh-Kill pile. Poppyblaze whirled around and trotted back towards her mother Goldenrose, the ground lightly dusted with a freshly fallen light coat of pure white snow. A trail of petite little pawprints was left behind as Poppyblaze came to settle into a stand before her mother. She craned her head down to deposit the rabbit before them to share.
"I thought some rabbit might be a good choice for our meal together, mother. If you don't want it, I can always run back over and fetch you something else, you know I'm not picky about prey. I'll probably share the rabbit with Lemonpaw and her sister Honeypaw." A chilly breeze swept through her fur, and it fluffed up against her skin to keep warmth within her body from seeping away too much. The once reckless Poppyblaze had come such a long way, she was far more mature now, not as ignorant to the dangers. She had learned that lesson the hard way when her sister Snowdove had been swept out to sea so many moons ago. Speaking of... it had nearly been a year since then, hadn't it? Seven moons, she would guess. She wondered if her mother might be thinking about Snowdove, especially with how it was leaf-bare and it had been snowing on and off. She wouldn't lie to herself, because she had been thinking about the gray and white molly too. She didn't know if Snowdove was alive or dead, but wherever she was, Poppyblaze hoped that she was at peace.
✿ 𝔾𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕖 ✿
𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕣 𝕠𝕗 𝕎𝕚𝕟𝕕ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕟
First thing she noticed about Tumblepaw was how damn cautious and skittish he was, her green eyes following as he slowly moved towards her as if he were afraid she would suddenly lash out and slap him in the nose. Poppyblaze was giving one of her speeches of encouragement while Goldenrose was pushing the rabbit in the boys direction. She imagined things weren’t easy right now with his mother and Hailgaze being targeted by members within their clan. Whiskers twitching faintly as she noticed the expression he held on his face when looking at her daughter, and it was one of awe. Poppyblaze was given her name for a reason, her soul blazing with passion in everything she did. Something, Goldenrose believed she inherited from Wolfstar himself.
Something didn’t settle well in her stomach at the way Tumblepaw jerked back when she had licked his ear, reacting as if she had shocked him. Both blinked in surprise at one another before he politely thanked her for the meal, but she said nothing as her gaze softened. Letting out a soft purr, she nodded as she made a mental note to speak with one of his parents later. “You’re welcome.” Goldenrose hummed, her smile motherly before her vibrant green eyes shifted back towards Poppyblaze, she wasn’t allowing her daughter to keep secrets from her today. Poppyblaze and Lemonpaw weren’t being sneaky with one another, openly seeking one another out in the clearing and pressing their flanks together. They were close in age, with only a few moons between them, any day now Lemonpaw and her siblings were due to receive their Warrior names.
Her daughter appeared like she wanted to crawl in a hole than continue this conversation, but her green eyes pinned down the molly. Her brown and cream tabby fur was ruffled and her paws were shuffling slightly against the ground before the confession was blurted out. Goldenrose smiled instantly, a purr tickling the back of her throat while her tail moved to lightly cuff Tumblepaw along his shoulder blades as his small but hushed laugh had been heard. “You certainly cannot hide anything from me.” She purred, head tilting slightly. “Well I am happy you have found someone with a light as bright as you. Have you told her?” Goldenrose inquired before her gaze turned towards Tumblepaw as his personality seemed to take a one-eighty. Becoming curious in his clanmates love life, but Goldenrose smiled as she turned her chin back towards Poppyblaze to see how her daughter would explain herself.