[closed] Vigilant from Dusk to Dawn

The golden hues, peaking over the horizon, was the first sign that Oakberry's vigil was coming to an end. She'd spent the whole night in silence, with her close and well only friend, Barleytuft, guarding WindClan camp. It was something that all newly named warriors had to do, and Oakberry was thankful that she had Barleytuft with her.

The sun crept ever closer, and it is heat warmed the tabby's back, causing her to relax a little. The night hadn't been as cold as she'd expected, but Oakberry welcomed the sun's warmth-- she probably wouldn't get too much more of it as Leafbare drew ever nearer. However as soon as the warmth had come, a gust of wind quickly swept over the two cats, relieving them of it. The young she-cat shivered, yet remained on task, who knew how angry StarClan would be with her if she messed up her vigil.

The light, quickly grew ever brighter, Oakberry smiled gently. It wasn't long now. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Barleytuft stretching. Was that allowed? Was their vigil over? Clearly, Barleytuft thought so, but Oakberry was still a little unsure. She eyed the tom with curiosity, tail flicking ever so slightly.

As the cats of WindClan slowly started to rise, Oakberry realised their ritual was over. The she-cat stood up, attempting to stifle a yawn, not realising how tired she was. It was all a bit shaky, as she hadn't used her legs in so long. She flexed her paws, and stretched, letting out a deep sigh. She'd waited just a little to answer Barleytuft's question, not wanting to dishonour StarClan by speaking to soon. "A little," she mewed quietly "but It's probably from doing nothing for so long. I'll go."

A soft smile, appeared on Oakberry's muzzle as Barleytuft trotted towards the exit. The tom was so happy and full of life, if Oakberry was honest it was quite adorable. The she-cat joined Barleytuft, walking slower than usual as her joints were so stiff from sitting the whole night. The dawn patrol brushed past the duo, heading the opposite way to them, which Oakberry was thankful for.

Barleytuft picked up the pace, bounding over WindClan's rolling moors. Oakberry let her eyes wonder as she traveled with the tom, taking in the sereneness of her clan's territory. She'd galloped along the familiar grasslands many times, and it soon came to her attention that it felt different. Not wrong different, just different. It was probably just the fact that she and her companion were warriors now, nothing more and nothing less, and so the thought was quick to leave the tabby's mind.

Oakberry caught Barleytuft's gaze and offered him a sheepish grin. The sandy warrior looked a little out of it, a concern to Oakberry. The smile quickly disappeared to a concerned frown, and she came to a sudden halt, nearly tumbling over her paws. "You alright, Barleytuft?" she mewed brow furrowed in worry"You seem a little w-worried... That's a-all."

OOC: sorry for lateness. My muse has been insanely dead this week ~

Oakberry settled down on her haunches, flicking her tail as she listened to Barleytuft. It upset her that he was upset, and now that she noticed it she cared an awful lot about the tom and how he was faring. But that is what you do, right? Friends are suppose to care and worry about each other. The tabby she-cat flicked her tail a little more agitatedly as the thought continued to nag at her. Barleytuft was her friend, and that was that.

A frown appeared on her features as Barleytuft explained his worries, Oakberry wouldn't of thought it of him. He was brave and smart and... Oakberry shook her head. It didn't matter, the newly named warrior thought he'd at least have some sense of what he'd been doing. It didn't seem like him to not.

The question hung in the air after the tom finished talking. Oakberry had an answer, but she was mulling over how to word it properly. "WEll, StarClan thinks your worthy and that is good enough for me. Accidents happen, Barleytuft. You didn't mean too and I'm sure the RiverClan cat forgave you. You're a good cat and a great warrior." she purred.

OoC: Never a worry! I totally understand. :)

The silence following Barleytuft's question made him uneasy, unlike the silence following his request for Oakberry to accompany him on a walk earlier. This question had carried much more weight than the first only a few minutes before. Barleytuft swore the moment lasted for ages, and he could hear his anxious heartbeat as he waited for her answer. Oakberry looked thoughtful, so that was something. Finally she answered, and Barleytuft visibly slumped in relief and let out a sigh.

Though his guilt was still not completely erased, all of the most important cats knew - well, not Brindlestar. She'd be furious. She might not think he deserved to be a warrior. Barleytuft realized that one very important party had not heard his realization, and he made a note that he must someday find that RiverClan apprentice and apologize for what he did. Whether she forgave him or not would be up to her. RiverClan hadn't mentioned his attack, so they must've thought nothing of it - or the apprentice hadn't mentioned it, like he hadn't mentioned his. He wondered if she was a warrior now...

Shaken to the present, Barleytuft purred in response to Oakberry's praise. She said he was a good cat and a great warrior, despite his big mistake. The sandy tom padded towards her and touched his nose to her shoulder, purring, "You are, too. Thank you for understanding." Barleytuft wanted to press his nose into her fur for days, but they had come to stretch their muscles, not sit in the sun and jabber like a couple of elders. The tom stepped away from her and sniffed the air, catching scent trails of rabbits here and there. The hunting grounds were rich with prey today.

"We didn't eat any breakfast," Barleytuft remarked, flexing his claws. "I could hunt, if you're hungry." He surveyed the horizon, then gathered himself and added hastily, "Or, ah, you could hunt. We could make it a competition? If we both catch something we could eat here - since we're not on patrol - and we can bring something back for the Clan, too."

OOC: I'm so sorry for lateness and shortness

IC: "T-thanks." purred Oakberry, tail twitching. She couldn't think of anything to say, feeling a little light headed from lack of sleep and hunger. She hadn't realised she was hungry until Barleytuft mentioned it, and almost as if on cue, her stomach let out a loud grumble. "Oh, right..." she laughed, perking up. It was nice that Barleytft always seemed to look out for her. Sounds good." she mewed pushing herself into a standing position.

ooc: I'm not doing a roll since I don't want them to have an encounter by chance in this thread. :)

Barleytuft purred at her grumbling stomach, satisfied for the moment that he had chosen the right next course of action. He flicked his tail to the right and mewed, "You go that way - I'll go this way. We can meet back up here once we've each caught something." With that, the new warrior trotted off, tail high and ears perked, in the direction he'd pointed.

The moor was prey-rich, as he'd thought, and Barleytuft had gone only a few fox-lengths before he heard the soft thumping and scrabbling of a rabbit loping through a tunnel nearby. He crouched slightly, eyes flashing around as he sought out a promising tunnel opening. A flash of brown and white caught the edge of his vision and he spotted a rabbit emerging. Barleytuft was greatful for his pale golden coat which helped him blend into the moor. The rabbit had emerged too far to retreat when Barleytuft ran and pounced, and he sunk its teeth in quickly.

Satisfied, Barleytuft picked up his haul and padded back to where he and Oakberry had been sitting.