Restless Soul [OPEN]

Ooc: A still needs a battle req but that isn’t required if you want to enter this topic, just a suggestion :D also it’s been a while- if I made any mistakes don’t hesitate to PM me!

The wind whistled wildly from the west, stampeding up the alleyways like a rabid animal. A chill settled over every nook and cranny. Even if one could escape the keening wind, only fat kittypets in their heated houses could stave off the cold. It wasn’t the sort of weather anyone would be expected to be out in- but it was dusk, the perfect time for a tom whose coat was the color of flickering shadows to hunt.

A silver wraith, a shimmering shadow- Astraeus flitted from cover to cover, utilizing the eerie half-shade that hung over the land like a shroud. Nothing was definite in this wavering light- there were no sharp edges or harsh colors, all dulled by the grey haze of twilight.

In a land of indistinct figures, Astraeus blended right in, silver and grey matching the shadows and shade. His nose to the ground, he followed the faint scent of a rat- a nursing mother, by the scent of it. In this oncoming chill, she wouldn’t have made it anyways.

Tail twitching, his sharp hawk’s eyes caught sight of a scurrying shape. There. The ShadowClan blood that ran in his veins made his night vision near as sharp as his sight during the day, and so he did not hesitate to hone in on the unsuspecting rodent. This wasn’t practice, like it had been all those moons ago. This was food.

He settled onto his haunches, then crouched, as still and as silent as an owl on the wing. Invisible amidst the shifting shadows, his keen yellow eyes locked onto the rat, still scuffling in the trash.

Then he sprung.

SkyClan blood lifted him forwards in a perfect arc, teeth connecting with the rat’s scruff. The tom shook the rodent before throwing it at the wall, where it fell in a crumpled heap. There. A meal. He leapt forwards, just in case it had somehow survived, and carefully sniffed at it. No sign of infection or poison- he took a quick nibble, then another, speedily gulping down the entire thing. It was fatter than any rat he’d seen in a long time- and it had been a nursing mother. Maybe he could track down her kits…

The silvery tom opened his maw and sniffed in the air, searching for the rat’s scent trail. His shiny fur neatly concealed his skinny frame, but some tiredness showed in the droop of his ears. Not now, though- now he was all eagerness, looking forwards to a good meal. Yet, instead of the scent of prey hitting his nostrils, there was the scent of cat.

Rolling to hunt a rat, disadvantaged penalty active. Roll was a success.

The member 'Cocoa' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

It was the scent of cat, aye, but there was something eerily familiar about it that tugged at the edges of his memory. Astraeus mentally judged the distance between himself and the top of a nearby dumpster- from there he’d probably be able to make it to the top of that low wall- he slunk back into the shadows, yellow hawk’s eyes glowing in the light of the streetlight, poised to run like a cornered beast.

But it seemed he wouldn’t have to.

A slow, warm grin spread over Astraeus’ face. Older, yes, more scarred than he’d left him, but Aether’s remained the only pelt like that he’d ever come across. He also looked well-fed, even maybe chubby by Astraeus’ standards- which maybe weren’t the best to judge other cats by, seeing as how anything better than starving was an automatic A+. Just crawled from the grave? Astraeus let out a low snort at Aether’s joke, tail tip twitching playfully. Shades only knew how he’d gotten so plump in these alleys- maybe he was a kittypet, one of those outdoor ones? The harsh wind was blowing towards Aether- not even the stench of Twoleg would’ve reached Astraeus’ nose.

Genuine excitement and fondness flooded through him- but Aether kept talking, and so Astraeus listened.

Wait.

He was back?

That explained a lot.

That was why both the rat he’d killed and Aether were well-fed and strong. He’d forgotten, almost, what good food and shelter at night could do to a cat.

His siblings? All gone? Something mournful keened deep within his soul, but he’d been so long away that their pelts and names and faces had all blended together. Any grief he might’ve felt was overridden by the relief at the news of the death of his father- rather, the creature with his father’s face, that denier of the natural order of things.

Astraeus listened for as long as he could out of respect for his brother, but as soon as Aether was finished talking he rushed forwards with a playful flick of his tail, bowling over the other tom in a warm embrace and giving him a good lick on the ear.

“I didn’t even know I was back, Aether,” he mewed affectionately, slinging a paw around the other’s shoulders. “I’ve been here, and there, and everywhere, but nowhere pleasant. It’s a great relief to be back in the territories, though. CloudyClan still doing well?” He asked playfully, withholding a snicker. “And how the shades are you doing so well with winter- ahem, leaf-bare coming on? You and Achelois must be better hunters than you ever let on to me.”

He glossed over the news of his dead siblings like a swan on a frozen lake. Later, it would sting, nibble away at his insides like a maggot, but the wound would heal, and all the better for being ignored. Aether’s slip-up wasn’t lost on a tom who had spent the majority of his life fending for himself, but he didn’t draw attention to it. Achelois had apparently joined a Clan, and Aether probably had too- now that he was up close he could scent trees and squirrels on his brother’s pelt, and certainly Aether alone couldn’t keep himself so well fed. He wondered idly if they were happy there.

No matter.

Astraeus let out an amused chuff, his breath showing for a moment in the chilled air. “You got rid of Bulgingstar? Little ol’ you took on that enormous fat ol’ tom?” He couldn’t recall if he’d ever actually seen the SkyClan leader in person, but he’d certainly heard enough stories. Enormous and ill-tempered, reportedly stained with blood from all the enemies he’d killed… Astraeus was skeptical, but when was he not? This, however, might be a situation in which his skepticism would be justified- sure, Aether was strong and well-fed from moons upon moons of good food and warm rest, but he was still just Aether, that daft tom who had snuck into the Gathering so many moons ago. Aetherpaw- Astraeus let out a snort at the memory.

“You have a son? You? And- you ended up in CloudyClan?” Astraeus leaned his head back and laughed, a joyous sound he hadn’t heard in moons. “The irony of it all- if they called you Aetherpaw I shall laugh my heart out. Ah, you remember that Gathering, Aetherpaw? That poor Clanner that caught us was so confused- but I’m glad Briarstar is treating you well,” he purred.

As Aether continued, Astraeus’ keen wit foresaw where his brother was heading with this. He filed away the information about Achelois for future use, though not without a spark of surprise- she was leader-in-training? He hadn’t been as close to her… but he hadn’t seen any leadership qualities in the young molly. Apparently ThunderClan was open to loners joining its ranks- that might come in handy later. As his brother started to get slightly emotional, Astraeus was already thinking a mile a minute.

There was absolutely no way he was getting tangled up in the Clans. He was fond of Aether, yes, and glad to see him, but it was a shallow sort of fondness, typical of the silvery tom. Maybe, moons ago, he would’ve sobbed into his only remaining brother’s fur at the mention of his deceased siblings… but time heals all wounds, and forestalls others.

His ears twitched with interest as Aether cut himself off. There was something there- perhaps some bitterness over Achelois being in a different Clan? Yet he’d spoken of her without a single twinge of feeling on his open face- maybe the loss of a kit… or perhaps his kits’ mother. He hadn’t mentioned her. Likely one of those, or perhaps just a close friend, or maybe the loss of one of their siblings had hit him harder than it seemed at first. Or maybe Hyacinth-

Astraeus cut off that train of thought, blinking happily at his brother. “I’m glad to be back, too- it’s been moons since I had a decent meal. Tell me about this son of yours- and how under the sky did you defeat Bullheadedstar?”

Maybe that joke would soar over his brother’s head- had he even heard of a bull, living as he did in these sheltered Clans? Hopefully Aether wouldn’t try to drag him back to Cl-SkyClan, goodness, the joke had apparently engrained itself in his brain.

Astraeus, though outwardly focused on his brother, was alert, ears twitching at every noise and eyes darting back and forth like a nervous prey animal. That’s what he had been, for a long time… but no longer. He’d regain his strength here, in the territories- on his own, as he had always been.

Astraeus gave his brother an appraising glance. Aether was maybe a bit taller, much more well-built and far less skinny- though at least Astraeus’ thick pelt concealed the ribs that would’ve otherwise been showing through a shorter pelt. He’d had closer passes with Death, but he wasn’t about to deny that he wasn’t in the best shape at the moment- though he wouldn’t exactly admit to it, either. In a fight, Aether would probably win- oh, and wasn’t that a funny thought.

“Hey,” he protested at his brother’s light tease. “I’ve seen scarier things than Bloodstar.” Murder and death and starvation- the sounds and lights of the true city- and the enormous metal birds that swallowed up Twolegs in their vast maws only to vomit them forth again once they landed- yet the most terrifying, unnerving, outright horrible thing he had ever seen had been what was left of his father- a crime against the natural order of things, an abhorrent creature of malice.

He went to war because his daughter killed a cat? Astraeus knitted his brows. He certainly wasn’t getting the full picture from Aether, but it would be hard to find reasonable justification for this tom’s actions. Ah, shades, this was why his way was the best. Staying away from danger, from being caught up in the current and tied down to others, forced to risk everything for another. At least on his own, he’d never die in vain.

“Crimsonflame?” Astraeus tried out the word, flicking his tail. “Imaginative, aren’t they,” he commented dryly, casting a glance at his brother’s crimson-brown pelt. “And Thistlemask- that sounds painful, eh? It seems poor Achelois has gained some unwanted facial adornment since I saw her last.”

He listened in silence, flicking his tail against his brother’s flank in reassurance as Aether opened up about someone… a dear friend, he had said. Surely the cat he’d hesitated about earlier, yet not the mother of his kits? Ah… here it came, the invitation he’d have to refuse. He could fend for himself in the city- he could surely fend for himself in the bountiful territories. There were only a few more things left to be said.

“I can hunt for myself, though thanks for the offer,” he purred. “Seasons are hard to tell in the city- er, Twolegplace, but there’s never enough to go around. I wouldn’t want to get you in any sort of trouble- but if you would lead the way back to the territories? There are plenty of good hunting grounds away from the prying eyes of overzealous Clanners.”

Astraeus stood, ready to follow his brother, ears pricked. The harsh wind had died down a bit, but if he wanted to find a warm shelter soon they’d have to get moving. His mouth watered slightly at the thought of all the prey found in the forests, rivers, and marshes. He wouldn’t accept prey from SkyClan unless his life depended on it- hopefully he’d let his brother down gently.