I Don't Have To Be The Outsider (closed)

Like so many nights before this one, Mossfoot found herself wandering. Only this time, it wasn't through a a leafy forest, but rolling moors, flat, vast expanses that seemed to stretch on forever. She was unusually swift on her feet, especially for a cat born and raised in ThunderClan, but her long-furred pelt still marked her a different from the sleek cats of WindClan.
She'd been thinking a lot lately. This was a chance to start over. She'd always be the reckless, childish dreamer at heart, but she had a daughter now, and it was her responsibility to make sure she had the very best. Maybe it was time for her to emerge from her juvenile bubble of apparent innocence and solitude. That image had been tainted by now. There was no point hiding it now - with all her life choices, she was far from innocent. How else would she have ended up with a daughter from a cat who wasn't her mate, to getting captured by Twolegs, to living in WindClan?.
And maybe she needed friends. Not just ones that lived in ThunderClan, her past. She had friends in many places, but none in her new home.
Maybe she needed support.
Maybe she needed them.
And maybe, just maybe, she'd finally know what it felt like to not be an outsider.

Jaypaw trotted down the path that winded from the cozy camp and stretched out into the cold ruggedy moorland of WindClan territory. Her fur bristled from the cold, and since with Blazekit's death by frostbite, she struggled to keep herself warmer by night. The weather was calm, but the cold bitter as the unmoving scenes unfolded by her, passing lazily, the same milky-white plains of leaf-bare. She could rarely spot some faraway tree, it's branches bare and alike blackened bones, chiling her and naking the fur on her back raise. The scents were all the same, mixed in the icy air that hurt her with every intake she took to secure her safety. She wondered whether life would have been different if she hadn't lost her tail. Or if Beetlepaw would share the same den as her, just two usual apprentides.

The sleek she-cat spotted a brownish pelt contouring against the horizont, and she dropped quietly low, moving swiftly through the snow she had trained in all of her life. The cold that gripped her belly didn't bother her much, she felt like she could actually enjoy it somehow, familiar. But as she crept closer, she recognized Mossfoot, and she got up, shaking snow from her gray fur. "I thoughf I was the only lonely cat wandering around at night." she smiled awkwardly, trying maybe to joke, but not quite knowing how.

Mossfoot jumped a little at the sound of the voice, startled. The last thing she'd expected tonight was company. "Oh, Jaypaw, didn't see you there. Ay, sorry about that." She let out a small laugh. Of all the cats she could run into, she was glad it happened to be this particular apprentice. "What're you doing out here, love? It's awfully late. Guess I shouldn't be out 'ere either, ha." She shook snow from her pelt as she spoke, in a sort-of subconscious attempt to clean herself up a little.

Brindlewhisker inhaled deeply; the cold air helped wash away any lingering bad feelings that constantly blossomed in her chest. Ever since her fight with Mottleheart, she had found herself drifting farther and farther from camp each night, coming to the realization that sleeping in the same den as her former close friend often left her fur prickling with irritation and guilt. Tonight was no different than any other- she had settled down in her nest as usual with the intention to sleep, but after tossing and turning for quite some time, she found herself out on the moor once more.

Narrowing her eyes slightly against a cold gale, she parted her jaws to inhale deeply- recognizing Jaypaw's scent that was similar to her own, while also tasting Mossfoot's slightly jumbling scent. Briefly she felt a pang of guilt- did Mossfoot feel so lonely here that she simply roamed the territory at night? Brindlewhisker hurried up to the two she-cats, announcing her presence with a wordless mew of greeting as she reached Jaypaw and Mossfoot. Clearing away a small space in the snow, she quickly dropped herself down by her Clanmates, slightly curious to see what was keeping both she-cats from resting within camp like the rest of the Clan. "Pardon my intrusion," She mewed with a touch of amusement, "But isn't it a bit cold for us all to be out so late?"

More cats out here? At this point, it felt like the whole clan had decided to go on a midnight stroll. These moors, Mossfoot noted, were far less silent than the forest. Ay, Brindlewhisker," she greeted the she-cat, with a small nod. "Don't be sorry love, we seem to be forming a little club out here - the night wanderers!" The brownish warrior laughed a little. "But seriously, what brings you out here?"

Jaypaw greeted Brindlewhiskef, nod surprised by her approached as shecould scent her neraby, but more puzzled. Each of them was out here thinking they could be alone, but turns out they'd all be stuck here together. Or at least if no one wanted to make things awkward and dart of with a cheap excuse. "I couldn't quite get any sleep." she meowed as soon as Brindlewhisker settled down. She waited for Mossfoot to finished speaking again, with amother question. "I was nervous. About when I'd have to take my assessment. And about training an apprentice. Me and Sprucethron hardly talk." she meowed awkwardly.

Squirrelpaw was taking one of her now rare night walks when a large collection of cat scent hit her nose. Following the scent, she found herself staring at a small group of fellow Windclan cats meeting. In the middle of the night? Shaking off the questions she walked toward the group in her awkward limp, hanging her head down and stumbling unevenly to prevent her head from throbbing she stopped and flicked her ear in greeting.

OOC: so short

Mossfoot nodded understandingly. "Don't worry, honey. I was nervous as anything when I took my assessment and I turned out fine - and I felt like I had even more pressure on me because Darkstar was my mentor! Training an apprentice? Well, I felt a little clueless when I trained mine at first, but I soon got into the swing of it. Really, I loved it." The she-cat paused and smiled, though it quickly turned into a concerned frown. "As for Sprucethorn, well....I can't offer any advice if I don't know what went on. What happened?" Her thoughts were interrupted, however, as the warrior jumped a little as another silently appeared among them. "Ay, hello Squirrelpaw! Great StarClan, is the entire clan out here?"