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.
T U M B L E
tumblepaw -- apprentice of windclan
give them no reason to stare
no slipping up if you slip away
so i got nothing to share
no, i got nothing to say
Something tense eased in his gut, though he continued to shuffle awkwardly, and he drew closer to Goldenrose. She was, he recognized, a pretty molly, and what he knew of her beyond appearance and general personality was little. He knew she was Wolfstar's mate. So, she must understand-- right?
The dark tabby's shoulders rose instinctively, an almost defensive look flickering over his face before slipping under a cheerful smile. "Oh, I was just-- wanting to catch the sunrise." Tumblepaw's words trailed off to silence as he absorbed Poppyblaze's fiery words, realizing-- and admiring-- the passion behind them, a spirit which he figured was simply an aspect of her character. Not at all like you. Tumble was the type to sit back and listen-- not because he had nothing to say, but because he could never say what he wanted. Even now, his weariness crept upon him like a chronic blight. He yearned to engage in conversation with Poppyblaze, see what else she could argue for with blazing words loaded with fury tenfold.
Instead, he swallowed his tongue and bowed his head, accepting what he assumed was her way of reassuring him. It soothed as much as it burned.
Tumblepaw jerked back in surprise when Goldenrose affectionately licked his ear, pushing food his way with liquid confidence in every movement. Jealousy and something dark and unnameable surged in him when he considered his own stilted movements, so unlike that of those around him. "Thank you," he mumbled politely. While he dug into the offered rabbit, his eyes bounced between the two as they spoke, quietly observing the way they moved toward and interacted with each other.
Tumblepaw twitched in surprise, a startled laugh stumbling past his lips which he quickly stamped down. "L-Lemonpaw?" He eventually stuttered out, sitting up to stare at Poppyblaze. "How'd that come to happen?" He inquired with a deceptively sweet smile, voice slick like river ice.
~Poppyblaze the blazing spirit of Windclan~
Poppyblaze felt the skin underneath her fur heat up in a blaze that rivaled her own name. She shifted her paws, feeling her mother's expectant gaze drill a hole into her head, as she averted her gaze. She was granted momentarily relief when Tumblepaw trotted over to them and greeted them, she perked back up and grinned brightly. "Hello there Tumblepaw, it's been rather uh... dreary lately, I'm doing as well as I can be- I suppose. How are you, though? I do hpe it hasn't dampened your spirits too much. I know things are looking rough, but Windclan is resilient. I'm certain that we'll be just fine, you'll see. That Sandadder, Briarfrost, Rootfrost and anyone else that doubts in our wild spirits- will be proven wrong. I won't let them gain an inch over our Clan, not while my heart still beats strongly within my chest." She hoped her passionate speech was enough to inspire Tumblepaw to find his morale, he seemed rather.... down and out. Though she was aware he was hurting, she had no idea just how deeply it cut. Her words were more or less just a temporary cobweb to soak up his bleeding spirits for the time being. "You're more than welcome to join us in this meal, we must look after one another- especially in such trying times, now more than ever before." She turned her gaze back to her mother, and inhaled deeply, closing her eyes and she prepped herself to come clean. Once she clawed a deep hole within herself, she deposited her anxiety there, and buried it deep down to banish it beneath a newfound sense of bravado. "I can't hide anything from you, can I mom? Very well, I admit it- I might... perhaps- ah Starclan, who am I kidding. I'm head over paws over the moon with Lemonpaw. She's the sun in my sky that warms me when I'm freezing. There, you happy?" She huffed in faux annoyance, as she lashed her tail up and lightly slapped her mother over the ears with its tip. "You're such a badgering badger.~"
✿ 𝔾𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕖𝕟𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕖 ✿
𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕚𝕠𝕣 𝕠𝕗 𝕎𝕚𝕟𝕕ℂ𝕝𝕒𝕟
Goldenrose stretched out her slender body, grunting as she shook off the snow dusting her shoulders and flank from the small flurry that had happened earlier. Hailgaze was aware that she was not a fan of the early morning patrols, but with the relations between the clan and their deputy being so fragile, she didn’t complain. But now she was starving, her stomach rumbling loud enough for her daughter, Poppyblaze to hear. Eyes looking down at the rabbit before she purred, lifting her head to lightly rub her cheek against her daughters. “The rabbit is perfect, Poppyblaze. I would love to share it with you.” She purred, moving slightly to where she was now laying on her belly, looking up at her child. Poppyblaze was a daughter from the last litter she had with Wolfstar, and although she took more so after her mothers features, she had surprisingly inherited Wolfstar’s selflessness.
Chin tilting slightly as she hummed, noticing that Lemonpaw was getting mentioned more and more often. “I see, how is everything between you and Lemonpaw?” She hummed in amusement, using a paw to drag the rabbit closer to her chest as she lowered her head to nip away at the rabbits skin, hesitating before taking a bite. “Don’t give me that look, mothers always notice. Is she just a friend?” Goldenrose asked before her mouth was full of rabbit, chewing up the mouthful before her ears twitched at the sound of another voice. “Tumblepaw.” Goldenrose soon purred after swallowing her mouthful. The wee tom was standing there awkwardly as he looked between herself and Poppyblaze, clearly wanting to be included.
With everything going on, she imagined that the little man was feeling incredible pressure from his clan mates. She couldn’t help but notice just how tired he looked, but she kept herself smiling as she waved her tail. “We are fine. Are you hungry? There’s plenty here for us all.” She ushered the young tom, smiling as he crept closer, shifting herself to press her flank against his side. “How’re you? What has you up so early?” She hummed softly. She absolutely adored the kits from Eveningstorm’s shared litter with Quiethawk and Desertstar. Her best friends kittens were so adorable and so well mannered. Pushing the rabbit towards Tumblepaw, she lightly licked his ear. “Go on, love. Get some food in you.” She winked before looking back at Poppyblaze. “I am waiting for that answer.” She hummed sweetly.
#e57272
T U M B L E
tumblepaw -- apprentice of windclan
Give them no reason to stare
No slipping up if you slip away
So I got nothing to share
No, I got nothing to say
Tumblepaw blinked at the milky dawn light, shaken from depthless thought and jostling the chains of exhaustion from his leaden limbs. The lean apprentice's golden gaze flickered nervously from side to side, lips twisting into a tight frown. The air was thick in camp, swamped with tension and electric with thinly veiled hostility. Battle-lines were beginning to cut across loyalties, and Tumble feared the state of chaos to which his clan was spiraling. He was no prophet, but even he and the kits could feel the ever-growing pressure, a palpable weight resting on the shoulders of all; most heavily, however, it bore down on his mother, Hailgaze, and his fathers.
The dark rosette tabby stood still, absorbing the beginnings of the morning; the sounds of the wind whistling through the air, past his ears, circling him in a chilling embrace. The day of that meeting had been startling warm because of the sun's position, which warmed the fields even in winter. The warmth had made Sandadder and Briarfrost's poisonous words, which in turn stirred unrest, that much colder. In the ensuing chaos, Tumblepaw had found his words stolen from his tongue, the familiarity of speech extricated by the noise and the anger. Hailgaze's children had been quick to defend him, warriors had been quick to defend Tumble's mama-- And what did you do? Nothing. But that was okay-- it was okay because nothing he said mattered anyway. It was okay because cats like Briarfrost and Sandadder would not sway under children supporting their parents and warriors, who they probably didn't even like, protecting their leaders.
"I'm tired," Tumblepaw whispered to no one, studying clouds as dawn-light painted them with pinks and blues. I'll just rest here, he thinks, eyes shuttering closed. His lips curl as snowflakes kiss his nose, gentler than they could be, sweeter than the kiss of the sun in summer.
"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." The apprentice stumbles out of his daze, eyes lazily opening to search for the molly whose voice had prodded at his senses, dragging him from the hollow place in which he had settled. He wants to say hi. He wants to embrace the honey-sweetness of their familial environment, somewhere that the sweat of sleepless nights couldn't touch him. Tell your Mom-- except, he can't do that. He could have done it before, but there was never a good time and now certainly wasn't a good time.
"Hi Miss Goldenrose, Miss Poppyblaze." The young tom summons a smile settling delicately over his features, hoping they chalk it up to the early hour and not his poor attempt at his usual beam. His limbs feel heavy, but he thinks that has more to do with not sleeping. Maybe he's hungry, too. "How are you two?" He asks sweetly, settling into a spot not too close and not too far from them. He wants to brush against the folds of family-love-contentment radiating from the two; however, he refuses to disrupt their dynamic with his entrance.