New Bonds [C]

Frostgaze had done his work, as he always did. There was no rest for him when there was work to be done, it made no sense to put something off that could be accomplished within the time he had. Be it repairing holes in dens, going out on a patrol, or even helping the elders when apprentices were all working. The night was still dark, though the sun would begin rising soon enough, signaling the time that most cats would be heading to their nests. Thankfully, he didn't have guard duty through the day. So he sat, boredly watching the slow bustle of camp. Most were out on patrols, or guarding the camp against the threat of those rogues.

Soon enough, the black and white apprentice he had seen around camp only a few times, Marshpaw he thought her name was, caught his eye. He moved toward the apprentice with purpose, curious if she had finished with her apprentice duties, or was slacking off. "Marshpaw, have you finished all of your duties? I am simply ensuring that everything gets done, I would hate to see any apprentices shirking duties when the threat of rogues is so abundant." He did his best to make his tone not sound like a threat, he didn't believe Marshpaw had done anything wrong. Frostgaze's curiosity was simply getting the best of him.

Marshpaw was, yet again, tired. The black and white she-cat was half asleep just outside of the apprentice den. She flicked an ear, bored. Bored until a not-so familiar voice started speaking to her. She tilted her head, stretching out her front paws before pulling them in. "... Yes, I have. Hmm.. you're Frostgaze, aren't you?" Marshpaw had only heard a few things about Frostgaze when her mother went over every cat in the clan briefly. Frostgaze was, unfortunately, one of the cats she didn't hear a lot about. "Is there a reason you're approaching me..? Did I do something wrong..?" Marshpaw was only a little worried about doing anything wrong, she knew she was probably doing a lot of things wrong but nobody seemed to care all that much.

Frostgaze gave a nod. "I am. You have done nothing wrong, I was just curious if you had finished your work. I apologize if it came off as different than that. In fact, you have done well. I do not see many other apprentices who have finished yet. You must be an efficient worker." Frostgaze sat next to the apprentice, curious. He was always pleased to see other hard-working cats in the clan, especially apprentices. Efficient apprentices would grow to become even more efficient warriors. It was good for the future of the clan. "Tell me, have you been enjoying your apprenticeship so far? I recall enjoying mine to an extent." Though in all fairness, he hadn't been a warrior for too long, Frostgaze simply spoke with an air of wisdom, despite his own inexperience.

Marshpaw sat up. It seemed Frostgaze actually wanted to talk to her, it wasn't exactly strange, most cats knew her as a kind and happy apprentice, trusting and sweet. "It's been alright, I guess. Meeting all these new cats is the exciting part for me! Of course- not rogue new cats, cats that would've probably just ignored me as a kit new cats!" She wiggled her tail. "Do you want to be my friend too?" This cat could help her, she just wasn't sure how. "Maybe I'll enjoy it more with a group of friends I can call family." She glanced at the warriors den, Soottail was starting to spend most of her time in there, she wasn't too worried but sometimes she had to check up on her. Maybe what she said, that last sentence, wasn't exactly a lie to get Frostgaze to be her 'friend'.

Frostgaze swept his tail across the ground, before remembering the ground was filthy and raising it up a hair. "Meeting rogue cats... would not be wise." Punctuating his sentence, he flicked his one remaining ear, the other bitten off nearly at the base. "I find friends... interesting. I do not have many, so I will agree. Most tend to find me... let us say annoying and leave it at that." It was true, he knew multiple cats found him to be arrogant, unkind, or simply cold towards others. That wasn't entirely true, but it likely seemed it to anyone who knew nothing about the tom.

"Do you have much family to call your own? I, myself, have none." Frostgaze found the phrase, 'a group of friends I can call family' particularly interesting. How could friends be family? Was it simply a cat that you knew so well, they were practically born with you? It still sounded so strange, though family was something unknown to the orphaned tom, so he supposed it made no sense to understand.

Marshpaw hesitated at Frostgaze's question. She looked back at the warrior's den, this time, though, Soottail was standing there, looking back at her. "I... Have my mother." She looked back at Frostgaze. "My siblings are gone... Um..." She let out a heavy sigh. She wasn't sure if she was faking it or not, she never used to get upset about her siblings. "I don't know my father... I... I don't have anyone else. I'm not even close to my mother all that much." She looked back at the warriors den, Soottail had disappeared. She looked at Frostgaze and flicked her tail. "I should say she's not close to me because she's been the one ignoring me ever since my ceremony." She let out a huff and slumped down.

Frostgaze's own gaze flicked toward the Warrior's Den as Marshpaw did so, his eyes boring into the cat that stood there. Then she disappeared back inside. Strange. "Strange that she would ignore you, in fact, I would call it rude and selfish. Not even a reason? Terrible." It was almost strange that Frostgaze's gaze could look colder than it did on the daily, but it had become positively frigid. Perhaps this was his way of expressing anger, or disdain, in his own unemotional way. "Then I will take it upon myself to be responsible for you if your own mother will not." The short white tom offered without pause, looking at the apprentice with a completely serious expression. Obviously, this apprentice was in need of someone, and Frostgaze was able to provide help and guidance. It made perfect sense.

Marshpaw listened the Frostgaze's reply before shuffling her paws a little. "Maybe. But I still want to love her... Even if she doesn't want to love me." She shrugged looking up at Frostgaze's somehow frostier gaze. She wasn't prepared for what Frostgaze was about to say and he probably wasn't prepared for what she was about to do but once she said it she felt warm and fuzzy inside, headbutting into his chest fluff before backing away. "I'm- I'm sorry- ha... I just... Got all happy- then." Marshpaw wasn't lying at all, a purr erupting deep within her chest, embarrassment flowing over her for a few seconds. "You... You do mean it, right..?" He eyes went big and hopeful, shining with happiness.

Frostgaze looked on with surprise lacing his usually cold gaze. Marshpaw had just... buried her head into his long chest fur, disappearing slightly before backing away. This was... strange... wasn't it? It felt nice though, an emotion he didn't always feel as often as he should. He suppressed his emotions all the time, but maybe he should let one through... just a little. Enough to show he did care? His skin heated beneath his fur in slight embarrassment before he regained his composure. "Of course. I would not offer if I did not mean it. Every cat deserves someone to take care of them." He had not had that as a kit. Nobody had offered to love him, to care for him. Yet perhaps he could give that to others.