sweetened breath / tongue so mean [closed]

Barren reeds, purposely overlaid and carefully woven into an intricate webbing of finely-made knots, slouched softly under the lingering weight of snowfall; the continuous, seasonal downpouring of snow and sleet battering the resident foliage into a miserable state of submission. The dreary, overcast late afternoon sky was laden with the lingering weight of cloying humidity- an unpleasant and unwelcome stillness bearing down upon the forest with all the welcome of a carrion bird, the continuous threat of doom lingering high above. The prickling presence of dampness slunk beneath the bones and curled low in the gut, a frigid chill seeping deep and fierce under the skin and residual muscles which trembled in a futile attempt to keep away the nagging chill currently growing only stronger. Somewhere in the distance, so far beyond the highstones that it was nothing more than a quavering outline, a dark smear of coiling energy was gathering just out of reach, the tremulous threat of building tension eagerly awaiting its chance to unleash a torrential downpour of poor weather upon the already overflowing, sodden territories.

If they were lucky, it would just be snow- and not even more rain.

Huddled in the outskirts of the wilting reed barrier, Jayshriek's sharp shoulders remained hunched forward in a physicals display of his discomfort and abhorrent mood as Niylah wreathed around him, pestering like a stubborn fly during the warm seasons. Jayshriek and Egretstorm had been selected for a routine hunting patrol, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary outside of the unwelcome presence of an Asylum guard perched upon their shoulders like some sort of circling hawk. Ah, well.. whatever the case, at least it wouldn't force him to stay within the presence of Ivystar for any longer than absolutely necessary.

Egretstorm emerged from the medicine den, having just given young Thornpaw fresh moss to line the nests with. Strands of dull green clung to her chest here and there. She was running a little late for her and Jayshriek’s planned patrol today, much to her displeasure, and that displeasure did not budge in the slightest upon sighting her poor nephew with an Asylum tick at his side. StarClan, if she could throw those cats back across the river from whence they came, she’d do so in a heartbeat. The stocky tabby motioned her head towards the territory once she’d gotten close enough to the pair. There was no use in excluding “Niylah”. No matter what Egretstorm said or did, this she-cat would follow them anyways. Annoying. “Let’s get going. I’d rather be back before that storm comes down.” With that, they were off.

Once they’d crossed the stream bordering camp and were walking on (mostly) solid ground, the older warrior murmured something to the tomcat. “I’m sorry for making you wait. Did she give you too much trouble?” She kept quiet not to keep what she said a secret, it was quite mundane, but she’d rather die than let an enemy cat hear her apologize. She’d give no vulnerabilities for an Asylum cat to take advantage of. Really she would rather not risk it at all by saying it out loud, but this was her nephew! If he was having disagreements with Ivystar, she’d step in instead. And that meant doing polite things, like saying sorry when something was her fault. In no way, time, or place would an Asylum cat get that privilege though.

With those thoughts in mind, she observed the frozen creeks and puddles. ‘Trying to catch fish in this weather will just give you hypothermia. All the voles and mice are hiding in their holes. Toads...’ They’d be frozen, and tasted terrible this time of year, but they might just have to do.