Gentle Waters[C]

It was not in her nature to interact with cats from other Clans, especially those that Riverclan did not find themselves directly in an alliance with. However, much as there were gatherings, there were times in which it seemed the entire forest mingled for one reason or another. As much as she would have preferred to have been back home amidst the lands that she knew very well, that was simply not the reality that she walked in. So she would adapt beyond it, as she always had.

Knowledge of the conversation she had just had with her mother stirred in her mind when company was most silent. However, she had been given the assignment to go on a patrol with any cat who had been available. It was not long before she found herself paired with a Windclan tom, his pelt a peculiar mixture of sandy tones and pale splotches of white that could have easily been mistaken for the ashes that fell after a fire. Given that his home would have been moorlands, it was certainly an advantageous pelt to have when running amid the long grasses. She herself found advantage when fishing when having such a pale base to her own pelt, as she found it made it much harder for the fish to detect her paws when they struck into the waters.

She gave a nod of her head in turn to his greeting. Her body language naturally settled into a mimicry of her mothers, standing tall with a prideful face that often could have been confused as judgmental. It was not the fault of those she interacted with for perceiving her that way. She had looked into the pools of water around Riverclan many times to see that face staring back at her, one that she had once tried to change... to little avail. So she accepted it. Accepted who she was, and what that meant in terms of challenges with socializing. "I am Mistwalker." She introduced herself, the words smooth on her tongue. "Let us see what prey we may find. I am not the best at hunting land-creatures, so if possible, I hope to find a small pond to fish in." Acknowledging her limitations had been a work-in-progress for the duo-colored female. But she seemed to be making enough progress to feel comfortable in it.

Formality had, unfortunately, been bred into her like a dual-edged sword. His weak smile was not lost upon her, and for just a moment, she felt a pang of anxious guilt. She had been the one to make the first interaction, and as such, had also been the one to set the tone for how they would be interacting for this patrol. Already, she had failed to meet the expectations. Clearing away the emotion as hastily as she could, Mistwalker forced herself to somehow piece together a... friendlier tone. She was the daughter of Perchstar, and could be a good delegate. "Do... rabbits also roam near streams? I have never had one before." She admitted in the query, half-leading, half-following the speckled tom to where the sound of water was distant up ahead.

As she saw the clearer waters it offered, her tail lifted slightly off the ground in excitement. Stars, it had been far too long since she got to enjoy fresh water. Even as her paws ached, and they ached terribly, it was still something that gave her hope. She had been mostly ambivalent to their leaving, simply heeding it as her mother's wishes. Not even remotely that of what Starclan wanted to do-if they were all mighty, they would have prevented the entire forest from morphing from a place of life to a place that reeked of death. So she followed Perchstar's lead, and it was what had led her to interacting with the tom now. "May I ask... what is your name? I do not believe I caught it," She spoke with the realization. It was so... odd to talk so much, but perhaps it would be beneficial in the long run. She was much more used to listening than talking.

Sootstorm. Interesting. Her mind's eye painted the picture of the aftermath of a great fire that had blazed the plains of Windclan, and the silver-tinged flecks of ash that fell from the sky. One look at the tom's pelt told her just how it worked so well, as patches of his fur seemed to be covered in it. It would certainly be easy enough to spot him among the crowd of others now that they had patrolled together, especially considering the unique color his pelt had in general. He was a particularly kind cat, a kindness that was certainly needed in times such as this.

His consideration for her hunting needs did not go unnoticed, either. "It is appreciated." She affirmed, nodding her gratitude. As she approached the water's edge, it was more than refreshing to be able to dunk her paws into the cool stream. Tension that had built in her shoulders released as her paws went in, the breath of relief as she felt at home certainly noticeable. But just because she had been adapted to did not mean she wanted to place her hunting companion at unfair advantage. "Not at all. If we need to move to find better prey, I am more than willing. However, you may be splashed if you wander too close to me while hunting, so my apologies in advance." Fish were rather unpredictable in their movements out of the water. While most Riverclan warriors were skilled in keeping them close to the ground, there were times they flew more than simply were pulled from the water.

Turning her gaze towards the water's edge, she scanned for the flashes of scales she'd trained her entire life to spot. It wasn't long before a small minnow darted by, and her paws were quick to dart into the water to hook the creature by its gills and pull it to the edge, expert claws taking its life before it could flop away. Though it was smaller than what usually swam in Riverclan's ponds, it would certainly do over what they had in the forest at the moment. Her mouth instantly watered - it had been so long since she had fish.