Wildstorm
WindClan Warrior
Wildstorm stepped onto the moorland on soft footing, his one sighted eye scanning the scene before him. There was a stillness in the air, almost ghostly and dreary if it weren’t for the relaxing plain of green before him. Where the wind would gallop over the tan grasses speckled with bushes of heather that were just beginning to bud with the delicate purple flowers. Cloud-filtered light shone upon those grassy waves and a smile formed on Wildstorm’s lips as he let the serene vision calm his stressed soul. Being surrounded by trees like the other Clan's seemed so restricting to him. Who wouldn't want to be out in the open where one could feel the wind at their fur and StarClan's gaze during the night? However, he wasn’t here to be relaxed by the moors that WindClan resided in, but he was here to follow the scent trail of his beloved best friend, Nightfire.
Her scent was so ingrained in his mind that it wasn’t an issue to find the dark marbled she-cat, padding over a small hill and seeing her down the other side, only hesitating for a moment as he got closer to her, looking into her amber eyes when they turned to him. He cleared his throat and nodded to her, his side brushing against hers lightly in a greeting. “It’s nice to see you out of the medicine den today,” he commented slightly. Ever since she had brought Lark to the Clan to be seen by their medicine cat after a mountain lion attack, she seemed to have an interest in the other tom. Which meant spending less time with him, and that was getting on his nerves. He pressed his nose to her shoulder and breathed her in for a moment before he huffed. “You smell like leaves.” Flicking his tail over her ears as he padded forward, Wildstorm’s teasing smile turned into a small frown for just a moment before he paused and looked back at her.
It was difficult to explain exactly why he was so annoyed with her attention being somewhere else, but he was getting closer and closer to realizing the true reason. And it almost… scared him. The thought of losing Nightfire in any way was one of the most frightening things he could think of, and that included becoming a mate and it possibly not working. Would she even want him as a mate anyways? They had only been best friends ever since she had been around him constantly while healing from his fall when he had become a new apprentice. Wildstorm sighed softly and gave her a small smile. “Do you have time to hang out with me for a bit? Maybe we could hunt together. Or just walk and talk like we always do? Or used to do.” He clicked his tongue, knowing he was being a little bit of a brat, his usual cheery attitude being dulled by this jealousy inside of him.
Nightfire
Warrior of Windclan
As Wildstorm spoke, Nightfire's ears twitched, her gaze shifting from the caterpillar to meet his eyes. There was a myriad of emotions swirling beneath her amber gaze, and a small, bittersweet smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Though it was unintentional, his words had reopened an old wound, exposing its rawness once again. "Thank you, Wildstorm," she replied softly, trying not to sound as hurt as she felt. "I understand the drive to be the best warrior you can be. We all have our own paths to follow, and sometimes they take us on different journeys— However,” she paused, a feeling of dread settling in the pit of her stomach as she hesitated to tell him how she really felt, “I can’t deny that it hurt when you prioritized being a warrior over our friendship.”
A tinge of sadness filled Nightfire's eyes as she turned to face Wildstorm, her usual warmth overshadowed by a sense of hurt. "When we were attacked by the mountain lion, I never left your side, not even when my own wounds had healed. I remained in the medicine cat den, tending to your injuries and helping you regain your strength," she told him, her eyes searching his, "I understand that you had your own goals and dreams as a warrior, but it felt like our bond was pushed aside," she admitted, her gaze now fixed on a distant point. "It left me feeling abandoned and questioning our friendship,” her voice was a mere whisper, and her jaws parted slightly as if she were on the verge of saying something else, but instead she sighed heavily, swallowing her unspoken words and choosing to preserve what they had.
Nightfire straightened her spine, her gaze drifting towards the horizon, and though she managed to muster a small smile, it didn't quite reach her eyes. The setting sun cast a warm glow on the moorland, painting the landscape in hues of gold and orange. Memories of their adventures as apprentices flooded her mind, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia. "But that doesn't mean we have to lose sight of what truly matters," she continued, turning her attention back to Wildstorm with a more hopeful look. As the caterpillar continued its slow journey, Nightfire took a deep breath and started walking again, this time side-by-side with Wildstorm. She knew that, much like the caterpillar, rebuilding their bond would be a slow, tedious journey. "We may have grown apart, but our bond is still there, and just like before, we can find ways to support and look out for each other just like we did back then," she nudged Wildstorm's shoulder, her eyes softening before she suggested, "We can make new memories, Wildstorm. I miss those simpler days too, but together, we can forge a new chapter."
𝓦𝓲𝓵𝓭𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓶
𝓦𝓲𝓷𝓭𝓒𝓵𝓪𝓷 𝓦𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓲𝓸𝓻
Wildstorm was grinning to himself as he spoke of the memory, his paws stepping lightly on the moorland grasses, the breeze lightly ruffling his black fur. With an amused hum, he turned his head to look at Nightfire and smiled as she laughed and scoffed playfully to the news. “I know you’re not a wilting flower. But sometimes I just… liked seeing the look on your face when you won.” He shrugged slightly and looked down at the ground in front of him, his ears twitching to the way she spoke. She almost sounded sad. Looking back to her, Wildstorm paused in his walking when she did, standing behind her with a thoughtful blue gaze.
The tall grasses swaying around them seemed to be the only sound around them as he let them hang in silence. The WindClan tom sighed softly and stepped forward again, sitting beside the feline he had immediately accepted once she joined their Clan. “You know… I miss those times too. When we were closer.” The caterpillar she was staring at was moving slowly, inching on the green leaf. “It didn’t seem like we had the weight of the world on our shoulders. We were more free as apprentices.” Clearing his throat, he looked at her with a slightly guilty expression. “I’m sorry I became so distant. It wasn’t just to you, it was everyone. Being the best warrior I can be became the most important thing to me. But… having a support system and loved ones should have been part of that.” He searched her gaze. “I’ll still look out for you, Nightfire. In the big and smallest of ways.”
Nightfire
Warrior of Windclan
Nightfire walked along one of the dirt paths that led to the hunting grounds, careful to keep downwind to avoid scaring the prey off before they got there. As she listened to Wildstorm reminiscence about their youth, though, her ears perked up in confusion. Quickly, she turned to look at him, tilting her head. “You slipped on purpose?” she asked with a laugh. Up until then she thought he’d actually slipped that day. She had no idea he’d done it deliberately to let her win. Nightfire rolled her eyes. “Oh, please,” she began, scoffing at him playfully, “You should know that I’m no wilting flower. I could have handled losing.” She strode ahead, the long blades of grass and heather brushing against her legs as she walked. Breathing in, the wonderfully familiar scents of flowers and leaves filled her lungs, the pleasant, earthy smell bringing a smile to her face. “However, I will admit it was very sweet of you to do that. We were always looking out for each other, even in the smallest of ways,” a note of nostalgia entered her voice at that, and with a small sigh, she couldn’t help but get caught up in her memories. Even after the incident with the mountain lion, they were always having fun and going on adventures as apprentices. Everything was so different now. Smiling, she looked over her shoulder at Wildstorm, a bit of sadness in her eyes. “Life was a lot simpler back then, wasn’t it?” she asked, then looked down at her paws. There was a fuzzy caterpillar gnawing on a small, green leaf. “I really miss those days.”
Wildstorm WindClan Warrior
Wildstorm had always been a busy and dedicated warrior ever since he had fallen and got blinded in one eye. It had never been in his nature to let something tear him down or give up, and he believed he had more to prove. However, that was all now catching up to him, and while he loved being a warrior and working his hardest, he was always left with a hole in his heart every night he fell asleep. Just beginning to get a grasp on what exactly it is, Wildstorm felt himself desiring to be around Nightfire again, wanting to rekindle the best friendship they used to have before. He smiled when she stood up, grunting a little as he stepped backwards towards the moors. “I’m sure he’ll be just fine. He is a loner after all, isn’t he? Or a rogue. Housecat? Either way, he’ll get healed and go off again.”
The black tom brightened when she agreed to hang out with him, his tail waving happily above him, ignoring the irk in his heart when she mentioned Lark again. Wildstorm followed Nightfire towards the hunting grounds, glancing towards a patch of thick, flattened rocks on the top of a hill and he chuckled, nudging her shoulder slightly before jerking his chin in its direction. “Remember when we were young apprentices and I came up with the idea to compete to see who would have to deal with the elders that night?” He hummed, a playful flash going across his eyes. “I chose to see who could hop from one rock to the other without falling. I had done it before with Breezehowl so I knew I could do it and I was prepared to win. But then…you looked so determined but you were still laughing as we hopped.” He chuckled and looked back at her. “I slipped on purpose so you could win. I didn’t want to see your disappointment at losing. And Ashtail had so many ticks on him that night!”
Nightfire
Warrior of Windclan
Nightfire was allowing the sun to warm her fur when she heard a voice behind her. She whirled around, her eyes lighting up in surprise. “Oh, hey!” she greeted Wildstorm, and though her tone was both cheerful and friendly, it lacked in familiarity. They had been extremely close before the war. In fact, she had developed feelings for him back then, and even though she’d accepted that he didn’t seem to share those feelings, it still hurt when he prioritized being a warrior over spending time with her. Then, as if to accentuate that, she lowered her amber eyes and awkwardly nodded towards the direction of the medicine cat den. “Yeah, sorry about that. I just feel bad leaving him in there by himself when he doesn’t know anyone here,” she explained, somewhat hesitantly. A part of her felt guilty for spending so much time with Lark, but since when did Wildstorm want to hang out with her? Normally he was too busy. At his unexpected touch, she felt her heart stutter, her skin oddly on fire from such a simple gesture. A prickle of embarrassment washed over her. Clearing her throat, she quickly answered. “I would enjoy going on a hunt with you. It’s been a while since we’ve spent time together, and plus, it’ll give me a chance to catch Lark something fresh to eat,” she smiled, and then, eager to rekindle their friendship and shake off her remaining anxiety, she began leading them in the direction of the hunting grounds.