the wandering curve [closed]

Barren reeds, purposely overlaid and carefully woven into an intricate webbing of finely-made knots, rattling softly under the sudden disruption of movement, the sleek smoky smudge of Jayshriek's lithe shape was the only immediate answer to the faint disruption of the snow-doused afternoon. It was becoming increasing difficult to sit idle and bide his time, so he often took to the refuge of the snow-sodden riverside in search of some quietude- even if that meant dealing with the unwelcome, infringing presence of an Asylum onlooker tagging along. Honey dark gaze fixing upon some unknowable point in the distance, an invisible tether binding his sight to the barren branches that christened ThunderClan's territory, faint rustling eventually diverted his wandering attention.

Prickly dark nape fur bustling out in a delicate curve, Jayshriek partially turned to catch a glimpse at the approaching shape, sharp ears pricking at the delicate sound of footfalls weighing heavily against the snow-softened veins of the ancient, well-trampled path he was currently paused upon.

Moonpaw emerged shaking his fur and clearing all of the heavy snow that was currently clumped onto him.[color=#00cccc] "Jayshriek, it is always like this in leaf-bear? I won't be able to get any hunting or swimming done in this weather.[/color]" he grumbled. He was starting to be like Jayshriek, although in some ways that was a good thing....although some ways not. He had stated to grumble more around his mother, father, siblings and generally the entire clan. He knew that Jayshriek was the kind of cat that wasn't one to complain but just to grumble.

He sighed and looked at the warrior. "[color=#00cccc]No, I didn't follow you out here..."[/color] he said with his little chin raised defiantly.

The carefully conditioned muscles atop the shoulders, so delicately interwoven in an intricate map of overlapping bands of carefully tried and tested strength, momentarily tensed in an instinctive response of wariness at the emergence of another cat- though the natural flicker of suspicion easily waned at the familiar face of young Moonpaw, who thankfully seemed to replace whatever Asylum guard he had been anticipating to make an appearance. The aquiline curve of Jayshriek's muzzle scrunched up in a thinly-veiled display of sympathy at the younger tom's commentary, the shared dislike of cold times a fundamental commonality often shared between all cats of the forest.

"Good question," Jayshriek eventually rumbled out, low voice hanging heavily against the chilly, stifling silence of the unbearably cool afternoon sun, "I was born in the warm seasons, so I have about as much experience with the snows as you do. Though, if you listen too much to Carpsplash, he might convince you there's been worse weather in previous seasons."

Purposely remaining poised and neatly coiled until there was a profuse ache resonating within the confines of his flesh, specks and flecks of broken foliage debris hung heavily in the stagnant air wreathing around the prickly young tom. Allowing for a few heartbeats to pass so that Moonpaw could completely catch up, Jayshriek rounded against the snow-sodden earth and began to pace forward again; dark fur unpleasantly fringed by the frigid tendrils of snow and ice that had begun to lay claim to his long, limber forelimbs. "I don't seem to recall accusing you of following after me, though you ought to be more careful- you might be too old for me to devour now, but I don't doubt that an Asylum cat would box your ears for venturing off unattended."

Moonpaw chuckled. "Carpsplash convinces everyone that everything was worse back when he was a young warrior." He opened his mouth and then closed it again to think of something to say. After a few moments of silence some words came to him, "Sorry, its just an automatic reflex to apoligize for coming up on another cat." he flicked his ears and caught the last part that Jayshriek had said. "An Asylum cat might box my ears?" he huffed. "Well, they can try but we are all part of one clan so I don't see the point of having of them shadow me all of the time."

Thick tendrils of steam gently framed the dreary backdrop of the rapidly encroaching riverbanks, a pale blanket of dampness that effectively concealed whatever snowflakes and half-frozen droplets of sleet that stubbornly clung to the air with every rough buffet of a breeze. Chilly sunlight bled freely across the barren canvas of the snow laden earth, heavy brushings of ice awash in faint curls of reds and oranges, with somber veins of blue shadows creeping across the chilly grounds that the unlikely pair trekked across. Jayshriek allowed Moonpaw's rightful commentary to hang between the duo for a few selective heartbeats, thoughts weighing heavily against the curl of his tongue as his dark gaze fixed upon some unknowable point in the lingering distance. His poor disposition with Asylum was hardly a secret, considering he spent all of his waking days disparaging them, but how could he bear the weight of the blame? Hosting Asylum was like welcoming a fox into the heart of their camp, like exposing your underbelly to all the predatory birds who circled high above.

"I suppose that they just prefer the philosophy of tough love," Jayshriek eventually puffed out, low baritone wreathed in the smoky willow of his frosty breath, "though it is a tad bit... unbearable at times." Downy tufts of silky dark fur dragging softly against the cold mud of the partially frozen riverbank, the young tom's motions were mechanical and practiced as he carefully eased himself down towards the water, keeping close mind on the placement of his shadow against the rough waters. Though some portions of the riverbank were laden with precariously thin fingers of ice reaching out across the waters in a futile attempt at uniting, conditions didn't seem too difficult. "I suppose that we might as well try to be productive, or else we might both get our ears chewed- by Asylum and Ivystar alike. How are your fishing skills coming along?"

Moonpaw shrugged. "Mother hasn't really had the time to teach me so I suppose that I am kinda lacking in the skill department...." he trailed off, feeling somewhat goofy of telling this older warrior about his family problems and that his mother wasn't really teaching him to hunt or to fight. "I understand that she is busy being a warrior, but is that really an excuse to ignore me? She was assigned to help me to learn how to hunt and fight, and yet she had done neither. She prefers to ignore the embarressment that I am unlike my siblings." he said slightly sad. Moonpaw wasn't the jealous type, but he did feel kinda sad that his mother was ignoring him.

Dark gaze fixed upon the softly swaying movements of the deceptively gentle currents, faintly encompassed in a glistening sheen of unpleasantly thin ice, Jayshriek's usual expression of casual disinterest appeared to be more apt with studying the circular ripples left in the wake of scurrying fish, silently allowing Moonpaw to beseech his troubles.  In the ensuing heartbeats of still, yet surprisingly comfortable, silence, there was only the occasional twitch to be gleaned in the otherwise stone-still young tom; rigid posture belaying his intense focus on the silvery fish darting about just a pawstep below.  There was another sudden flash, the quiet forcefully disrupted by the sudden splash of a singular paw breaking the muddled surface. The fish unfortunately dredged from the murky riverwater was hardly offered a chance to react, instead left to aimlessly thrash and wriggle until neatly disposed of.

"Training with a parent is... not the most rewarding experience at times," Jayshriek eventually began, dark gaze briefly lifting to wander across the riverside, almost as though looking for a familiar face, coat shaded bright and light against the dull backdrop of the dark forest. "My mother Honeytongue was my Mentor, and it was a struggle to achieve anything- especially when it came to balancing training and assisting Ivystar with other important matters. Feeling as though you're being ignored is not the most motivating factor in the world." A sour taste curdled sharply against the neatly poised weight of his tongue, a sharp recollection of the constant disinterest and bickering that had transpired between Ivystar and himself, conflict constantly underscored with neglect. The tedious bridge of their relationship was hardly holding itself aloft under the strain of the past few moons, stress and resentment seemingly fostering intensity. Turning over to peer closely at Moonpaw with sharp, dark eyes, Jayshriek gestured to the gently churning dark waters below. "For now, why don't you give fishing a try? Once we figure out where your skills are, it'll be easier to figure out where to go from here."

-

Jayshriek has successfully caught a fish, costing - 5 in Stamina.

Jayshriek
45/45 [HP]
155/160 [SP]

The member 'Seer' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 1