Life can be funny sometimes. In one day Crash went from a street cat in a place where he didn't belong to a warrior. It was an adjustment, that was for sure. Crash stirred in his nest, slowly unfurling from his cozy sleeping position. It sure was nice waking up warm and dry, that didn't happen often back when he lived in a box in an alley. He stretched out his body, sat up, and began to smooth out his sleep-ruffled fur, mumbling soft "good morning"s to clanmates as they shuffled past him to start their days. One change that Crash noticed after he became a warrior was that other cats were more friendly with him. Though, that could have more to do with the situation that earned him a spot in ShadowClan. The ability to bring down hawks seemed to be a rare skill around these parts, and that skill of his saved the life of one of the clan's kittens. He was just glad everything turned out okay.
Once his fur was all tidy and he was fully awake, Crash exited the warriors den. He took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp morning air, and set off to begin the only thing on his schedule for the day. The previous day, he promised a certain calico healer that he would go herb gathering with her, and he always kept his promises. Picking funky smelling plants out of the ground wasn't exactly the most exciting activity, but Hareflight was worth it. She did save his life, after all. "Knock knock," He called quietly into the medicine den, poking his head inside. When his eyes met Hareflight's, a charming grin found its way to his face. "Mornin'," he purred, waving at her with his tail. "I'm ready to head out whenever you are."
H A R E F L I G H T
This was a day like any other. That's what she kept reminding herself. Just like any other herb-gathering trip.
So why did it feel so different?
It wasn't all bad. Sure, there was some anxiety, which Hareflight assured herself was just the nerves of if there would be any herbs safe from the frost. There was also an excitement. Hareflight didn't have time to worry about whatever was happening in her brain though. She had things to do. She spent the time before Crashingtide arrived at her den sorting through the herbs, deciding what to prioritize and what would be okay until the next trip. She was so focused on this that the smooth voice of Crashingtide almost startled her.
Glancing over, she offered him a kind smile. "O-Oh! Good morning, Cr-Crash- Er, Crashingtide. What a lovely n-name by the way a-and you certainly d-deserve it after your, w-well, your heroics and all."
Wow, off to a great and very normal start.
Clearing her throat, Hareflight tried again. "Right. Uh. W-Well, I was just looking at what we might need so i-if you'd like to follow me, I can describe them to you on the way?" Hareflight smiled awkwardly, shaking her fur out and giving him a nod as she strolled past him and out the den, heading towards the camp exit. She stopped to glance back at him once, just to make sure he was following and caught herself staring for a moment. Shaking her whiskers out, she snapped her head back in front of her and started walking again. It was a relatively quick pace, but then again, Hareflight didn't have the longest legs out there.
"So, um. C-Crash. How are you enjoying C-Clan life? D-Do you miss your home?" Was that too personal a question? I mean, seriously, this wasn't an evaluation, this was a trip to gather herbs. "S-Sorry. You d-don't need to answer that. I don't want to pry. Just t-trying to make conversation!" She let out a light laugh to try to clear her awkwardness, fixing her gaze on the ground in front of her.
Stars, she felt like she was an apprentice again.
(#Hareflight #melrps)