The Night We Met [closed]

ooc) feelsy song for a feelsy topic


The cool night air was fragrant with the sweet smell of Greenleaf-ripe grasses and blooming flowers of various species, while the peaty, brittle moorland earth felt cool underpaw. The night sky was a dark, rich navy wreathed in the occasional thin, wispy cloud close to the hardly visible moon, while the rest of the vast night sky was speckled in the faint light of Silverpelt. Brindlewhisker continued to slip quietly through the dew-heavy grasses and shadows, paying no mind to the way that her fur became slightly damp as she brushed against the fresh, springy heather that encompassed the brim of the Fourtrees hollow. Her paws always drew her to the ancient, sacred meeting place whenever she need to think- and as of late, it seemed like she was doing more thinking than sleeping. Ever since she had been named Deputy in Smokepelt's stead a few sunrises prior, it was as if Ashstar's promise of a sleepless leadership had come true already. Whenever she wasn't failing miserably at organizing the day's patrols and duties, she was simply stretched out beneath the light of Silverpelt, kept awake all night by the gnawing fangs of anxiety and sorrow. Normally she would of sought out Mottleheart's companionship over such feelings of inadequacy and loss, but she didn't feel like troubling her old companion with her well...childish complaints about the burden of a shaky Deputy-ship.

Plunging through the final stalks of heather and grass that rimmed the steep slope that comprised Windclan's entry point to the Fourtrees hollow, Brindlewhisker gracefully leaped into the shadow-heavy clearing, paying no mind to the way that she stumbled a bit during her landing. The clouds obscuring the normally bright moon made the clearing a bit darker than she was used to, but it still looked surprisingly beautiful in her eyes- especially now that the trees were finally budding once more. Ever since her encounter with Bear all those nights ago, it seemed as if Fourtrees had lost all of its magic in her eyes and yet she still came here without much thought...why? Perhaps all those nights spent here gossiping with Rockpaw and Mottleheart had made her heart grow fond of the place, despite all of the terrible things she had witnessed here. At the mention of her companion from Thunderclan, she found herself falling into the instinctive habit of circling the clearing in a futile search of Rockpaw- she hadn't seen much of him lately. Had he finally earned his warrior name? Had his lip and shoulder healed properly? Were his Clanmates still on the cold side when it came to interacting with him? Was he eating better? 'Ashstar would have my head if she found out I worried about a Thunderclan appprentice like he was my own kit!' She couldn't help but snort with wry amusement at the thought. A sigh escaped her lips at the incredibly faint scent of Rockpaw- it looked like she was on her own for the night. 'Perhaps that's for the best..what could Rockpaw or anyone for that matter of done to help me with how I feel?' Brindlewhisker reflected sourly, brisk walking eventually grinding to a halt as she fell to a stop in front of the ancient Great Rock.

The Great Rock was dappled in shadows and shone softly in the weak moonlight, looking nothing like the icy hunk of emotionless bolder it had appeared to be whenever Brindlewhisker first laid eyes on it all those moons ago. 'Look at how much as changed in comparison to whenever I was first made an apprentice.' She reflected solemnly, swallowing tightly as she continued to gaze up at the massive stone. 'One day..I'll have to sit up there and address all four Clans.' She realized, pale blue eyes growing wide at the thought. That day could never come and she would be perfectly content. Nervously, she padded closer towards the Great Rock and gave it a curious sniff, and winced slightly at how foul all of the Clan leaders scents smelled once mixed together. How many countless other leaders scents remained permanently etched upon this stone long after they were gone? Shaking her head, she continued to mill about beneath the cold stone awkwardly, the heavily-scarred she-cat blinked up at the Great Rock and the weak moon high above them, before sucking in a deep breath. After a few moments of observing the massive stone, Brindlewhisker bunched her legs up beneath her thin form before propelling herself upwards in a powerful leap- nearly skidding off of the smooth surface once she landed. Barely managing to scramble upright in time to avoid slipping off of the ancient stone, she awkwardly shuffled around to face the actual clearing once more, tail lashing in embarrassment as she did so. Ashstar always seemed so...regal..so imposing whenever seated upon the Great Rock! How was she ever supposed to look that way? Sitting up straight and stiff -and looking incredibly awkward in the process- Brindlewhisker straightened her shoulders until the ached and then cast her gaze down towards the empty clearing, softly trilling and making various other vocalizations in an attempt to seem like she actually belonged there.

This wasn't the first time the black and white tom had found himself travelling the territory at night. Ever since he had become deputy, Rippedsky had been plagued with both the responsibility of his clan and family. Despite the peace that seemed to fall over the clan, his paws still ached. It certainly didn't help that each night had become an uphill battle to force himself to sleep. Endless hours were spent tossing and turning in his nest. What little sleep he did manage to get was haunted by images of his kits training under Bear. The impact the rogue leader had on his youngest children was obvious. They had almost clawed Rippedsky's fur off the first time they met him. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought. The light chill of the night didn't bother him. All of his muscles were warm and awakened with his brisk pace. For some reason, he had been more worked up than other nights.

The Skyclan deputy finally yielded to his screaming muscles. A sigh broke from his muzzle once he realized how far away from camp he'd ended up. Thankfully, the rocky terrain finally gave way to a soft and springy grass. Only then did it hit the tom he had left his territory. But there were no other clan scent markers? His sleep fogged brain failed to realized he had walked all the way to fourtrees. Finally, the strange mixture of scents from all clans hit his scent glands and jolted him awake. Everything seemed strange without the writhing mass of clan cats below. His eyes traced the open clearing, as if seeing it for the first time. Despite having frequented this place many moons through his entire life, fourtrees seemed different. It appeared so much vaster than normal.

A flicker of movement from the great rock caused his eyes to snap upwards. With it being so late, Rippedsky was shocked to see another cat here. What shocked him even further was to see Windclan's deputy in the leader's spot. It appeared like she was attempting to address an invisible crowd. A purr of amusement rumbled in his chest. There was no reason he should expose himself. Fourtrees was a place of peace. Besides, Ashstar seemed to be the one to still hold hate in her heart towards the former Windclan tom. After a brief moment of debate, he stepped down into the clearing, calling just loud enough for her to hear, "I didn't realize there was a gathering tonight."

Brindlewhisker must of leaped several tail lengths into the air at the sound of Rippedsky's voice, letting out startled squeak in the process. Why were cat's always jumping out at her when she was at Fourtrees?! Didn't any cat remember a little old thing called 'peace and quiet'? And why was is apparently too much to ask for a little bit of it? Heart pounding and fur bristling to the point where she looked like a grey and brown puffball, she swung her head around to confront the new cat who decided to make an apparent game out of startling her. However, as soon as she caught sight of a vaguely familiar black and white pelt, her anger and fear immediately dissipated.

"Has your time with Skyclan made you forget your manners, Rippedsky?" Brindlewhisker quipped, embarrassment and anger broiling within her veins- of course she had to be caught doing something strange! By Skyclan's Deputy no less! Twisting her head to lap at her ruffled fur, she continued to observe her former Clanmate with wary curiosity. Despite the fact that she and Rippedsky were of the same age and did most of their training together, they had rarely ever interacted together in a rather casual manner such as this. 'How peculiar.' She reflected, slightly amazed at the fact that she knew so little about a cat that she grew up alongside.

"Anyways, Skyclanner," Brindlewhisker called, tone a bit more friendly now that her initial fright had subsided, "You're a long way from home for just a casual stroll." She mewed, ear twitching as she gazed at the scarred black and white tom. "Have you come to rejoin Windclan?" She questioned, wry amusement evident in her probably ill-placed joke- every cat with half a brain knew that the only way that Rippedsky would ever be welcomed back into his Clan of birth was if the sun rose in the west and set in the east. Personally, Brindlewhisker had never carried the same deep grudge against Rippedsky that Ashstar did, but she still felt slightly uncomfortable around the enemy Deputy; mainly due to the fact that for whatever reasons, he felt more at home within the stifling confines of a forest than he did out on the open moor.

Remaining seated upon the Great Rock, Brindlewhisker forced herself to relax once more- oh how she hated it when cats jumped out of the shadows at her. As she relaxed further, she felt her still slightly ruffled fur fall completely flat once more as she gazed down at Rippedsky's moonlight bathed form, eyes filling with a guarded amusement. Re-wrapping her tail around her paws, she sat upright once more, straightening her shoulders in a more upright manner as she attempted to look less caught unaware. "Since it's a Gathering," Brindlewhisker began, whiskers trembling with faint amusement, "I suppose it's only fair to have a Skyclan representative." She offered, reaching out with a forepaw to gesture at the empty smooth rock she was seated on.

It was impossible to hold back the amused chucked that rose in his chest as Brindlewhisker leaped at his words. Shock quickly turned to anger, but he brushed it off, knowing she was more than likely just embarrassed. His black and white checkered paws carried him over to the base of the foreboding stone. The thing was so huge and imposing; it made sense that all of the leaders who sat atop it seemed to possess so much power. Rippedsky's eyes trailed up to the Windclan deputy as she spoke once more. He shook his head instantly at the words. While he held nothing against Windclan, the thought of returning to his birthclan was out of the question. Regardless of whether or not Ashstar would ever take him back, his place was with Skyclan.

"I suppose you are right." The corner of his maw twitched in a half-smile as she invited him onto the rock. Sitting atop the highrock had never crossed his mind. Now, he wondered why. The tom's position meant that someday he would have to replace Crowstar at the head of the clan. Rippedsky squeezed his eyes shut for a brief second; this was something he hoped would not happen for a long time. Once his deep blue eyes blinked back open, the warrior tom bunched his muscles in preparation to leap. The jump was surprisingly smooth, his claws only scratched at the side for a brief moment before he had hauled himself onto the open space. He settled down, wrapping his tail neatly over his paws. Everything was so still in the clearing. Normally the writhing masses of cats would move through out the clearing. However, tonight, it was still and peaceful.

"Are you practicing? I didn't know Ashstar as on her way to Starclan." He hoped the joke did not come across as too dark. The Windclan leader still had many moons to live and Rippedsky knew full well she was far from moving on. It was amusing to see the new deputy atop the rock, and at midnight of anytime. He supposed that she simply could not sleep as well. Rippedsky thought it best not to ask. His own darkened thoughts and trouble pasts were something he did not desire to share, especially with a cat from another clan. It was funny to think they had come from the same clan; the only thing they shared in common was the slim, Windclan frame that was common to the whole clan. However, once they had shared both their kithood and apprenticehood as well.

The black and white tom cocked his head at the she-cat, a spark of curiosity gleaming in the blue depth. It appalled him to think about the fact they had started off their lives together. The two had never really spent much time together, and Rippedsky considered how little he knew Brindlewhisker. Yet, here they were, both burdened with the responsibility of the weight of their respective clans. It briefly crossed his mind that, maybe, despite their differences and lack of a personal relationship, she might understand what he was going through better than any other cat.

Brindlewhisker couldn't help but 'mrrow' at Rippedsky's words, rolling her eyes as she slid closer to the soft edge of the Great Rock to make a more comfortable space for the the black and white tom. Tightening her tail around her small paws, she cleared her throat in a soft expression of amusement towards the absurdity of the thought; Ashstar hardly had a good few moons on her, let alone be frail enough to fall into the clutches of StarClan. "Unfortunately for you, that's hardly the case. Although I'm sure that Crowstar would be overjoyed if she was." Brindlewhisker retorted, a half exasperated-half amused snort bursting out of her mouth afterwards; she felt never ending frustration at the obvious disdain Crowstar felt towards Ashstar and her Clan. Apparently time didn't heal all wounds. "It looks like you won't be free of her disapproving stare for many moons yet." She continued, mouth quirking slightly as she recalled her Leader's hard stare- a part of her would always be impressed with the ferocious intent within Ashstar's gaze.


"I assume it's safe to say that all is well in SkyClan- otherwise you wouldn't be out roaming so far from your camp." Brindlewhisker mewed softly, gaze flitting towards the dark expanse of trees that composed ThunderClan's territory- the entire dense woodland laid between Fourtrees and SkyClan's territory! 'Hopefully they don't need him urgently.' She mused, continuing to study the dark, suspiciously green first. The thought of living her life sheltered by the trees made a shudder run down her spine- why Rippedsky voluntarily gave up the open moorland for the suffocating, brittle forest she would never understand. 'They probably only see the sun whenever they scale those ridiculous trees they have.' She mentally huffed once more, although this time she turned to look at Rippedsky as she waited for his response.

“Unfortunately, I have a feeling that she will still manage to be displeased with me even once she joins Starclan… just imagine, Ashstar showing up to glare at me for my leader ceremony…” The black and white tom mumbled in response. He could picture it all in his mind already. His blue eyes glazed over as he stared down at the empty clearing, briefly stuck in the image of the whole concept. A pang of sadness hit him unexpectedly. As a young cat, Rippedsky had looked up to and respected Ashstar. The amount of disdain she still constantly held for him, as much as he tried to push it away, would always bother him. It was as if she were a disapproving mother who disowned him for finding his own way. He didn’t regret anything. His place was in Skyclan. However, the Windclan leader was still hung up on the events of the past. Behind him, his bicolored tail began to lash.

Brindlewhisker’s words caused him to return his gaze to the other deputy. The concept of simply chatting with another clan’s deputy was certainly a strange one. But it did not feel uncomfortable. It felt like being alongside an old friend. ‘We were kits and apprentices together’ he mused internally as he looked over the she-cat. Life in Windclan felt like a whole other life at this point. So many things had happened since the battle and his decision to leave. The fact he was a deputy still shocked him beyond belief. Never as a hopeful young apprentice had he imagined that to be the case. Especially not the Skyclan deputy. Yet, Skyclan managed to constantly feel like his true home. Windclan had never been that way. Yes, they were his blood, but they were not his family. Once more the barrage of thoughts had taken over. He did not respond for a moment as he collected an answer.

“Everything has been well with the clan. It’s been peaceful, for once.” Rippedsky’s ear flicked as he meowed casually. It was true. Everything had been fine for the time being. Things had been quiet in the clan. In his own head, not so much, but that was not what she had asked. Without any hesitation this time, the black and white deputy added, “I hope Windclan is doing okay as well.”

A soft airy huff of laughter brushed past Brindlewhisker's mouth at Rippedsky's words that made her shoulder shake ever-so-slightly while a playful gleam evident in her eyes as she stared at the SkyClan Deputy. The image of Ashstar lurking behind those designated to give Rippedsky his nine lives was much too amusing to resist laughing at- especially because she could easily see her beloved kin doing such an absurd thing. She was almost completely oblivious to the tom's subtle change in mood, taking no notice at the crestfallen way the other Deputy glanced at the clearing around them or how his tail began to lash, and continued her quiet reedy laughter. Inhaling sharply through her nose in an attempt to soothe the jolting laughter that spilled from her chest, Brindlewhisker looked away for a brief moment to compose herself.

At Rippedsky's confirmation of SkyClan's well-being, Brindlewhisker's ears twitched before she turned back towards Rippedsky, giving him a soft, good-natured nod. "That's always good to hear." She murmured thoughtfully, voice a bit stronger now that she had fully recovered from the momentary fit of laughter that had overtaken her. Conversing with Rippedsky felt similar to speaking with Mottleheart or Thistlefall- the familiarity of being able to leave an old conversation and pick back up whenever the moment called for it and never missing a beat. It was comfortable- more comfortable than it should be. Feeling more relaxed now, Brindlewhisker fell into a less stiff and more comfortable sitting position beside Rippedsky, allowing herself to drop closer to a laying position instead.

"Oh yes everything in WindClan is well." Brindlewhisker let out a carefully measured response to the tom's friendly inquiry, gazing up at him with equally guarded but warm eyes. Despite her newfound comfort with the SkyClan Deputy, she still had a hard enough time letting down naturally heightened her barriers for such a sensitive subject like her Clan's wellbeing. Oh yes WindClan is fine- if you count the impending civil war over my promotion to becoming Deputy fine. Came the sharp and nagging yet nonverbal response to Rippedsky's gentle words and it felt like swallowing hornets when it came to fighting away the urge to spit out the words. "The usual Clan drama, but everything is well. At least as far as I can tell." Brindlewhisker continued, a coy little smile evident on her face as she glanced up at the SkyClan cat.

The Skyclan deputy was a bit shocked by how easily Brindlewhisker made herself comfortable on the rock. It was as if they were old clanmates, or friends. Once more, he reminisced briefly on training with her all those many moons ago. It truly was another lifetime. They were never close, but this moment did feel natural. While he had been surprised by her behavior, Rippedsky could not help but feel the same way. After a brief hesitation, he allowed himself to relax more. Instead of thinking of her as another clan's cat, he simply saw her for what she was. He didn't quite lay down like her. The tom was still to awake in his own head to lay down. It was the reason he had come to fourtrees in the first place. Instead, he simply looked down at her with curious blue eyes.

He narrowed his eyes as she carefully picked her way around the response to his question. Although, he supposed it was truly none of his business. Windclan troubles were not his, and just as he would not share of his clan's weaknesses, he expected she would do the same. With a nod, Rippedsky shifted his gaze to the clear night sky. That was the only thing he would ever miss was the ability to always see the beauty of the night. Climbing trees was always a good way to gain access to an amazing view of Silverpelt, though. The brief bit of silence, the black and white tom found himself more at ease than before. A contented sigh left his maw. For the first time in so long, Rippedsky felt at ease. Everyone back in camp was settled down for the night and there was no need for him to be rushing to organize patrols.

"I'm glad Ashstar chose you as deputy. You'll make a fantastic leader, one Smokepelt never could have." Rippedsky finally commented. His thoughts had drifted back to her new role as clan deputy. Their shared position, albeit in different clans. Even if there were problems within Windclan, he trusted the she-cat could handle it. Brindlewhisker's deputyship was proof that Ashstar still had some sense about her. He had quickly forgiven the older, grey leader for her decisions. None of that affected him anymore. But it certainly had lasting effects on his birthclan, ones that Brindlewhisker would have had to deal with. After another beat, he asked aloud, "Do you think I was a coward for leaving?"

Brindlewhisker was pleasantly surprised at Rippedsky's spontaneous praise to her ascension to the Deputy rank, although the mention of Smokepelt felt like a painful jab to her throat- why was everyone so quick to judge her kin? Questionable things happened around them everyday, yet nobody caused a fuss over them. Swallowing a sigh, she offered a still sincere nod of thanks to the SkyClan tom before redirecting her attention to the clearing that was still bathed in moonlight in front of her, too deep within her thoughts to verbally thank him for such a thoughtful and reassuring statement.

The soft rippling and wavering of shadows on the edge of the clearing made her fur prickle uncomfortably, but she did her best to refrain from giving into the nagging paranoia that had sprouted- even though now she could taste the hot, rusty iron-riddled taste of Rockthorn's blood and smell Bear's foul scent. Her muscles tensed beneath her fur as her comfort melted away and she soon found herself paying more attention to what could possibly be lingering outside of her view than her strange companion. However, Rippedsky's next question caught her more off guard and she could herself drawn back to the conversation at paw.

The question of the evening.

Brindlewhisker cocked her head in an upwards position so that she could better look at Rippedsky, eyes careful as she glanced at him in a new light. Was he a coward for leaving? Was it even her place to give him an opinion on such a sensitive subject? Her eyes narrowed slightly as she continued to study the former WindClan tom, gaze tracing over the several scars that littered his face. The sight of scars so similar to her own made the freshly-healed ones across her face itch slightly, although she resisted the urge to fiddle with them as she prepared herself to speak.  "Perhaps," Brindlewhisker finally mewed, voice rather defensive as she began, "That's a question with many different answers, though. It was a situation that cats our age couldn't of dictated any of Ashstar's decisions as 'right' or 'wrong', but on the other paw loyalty to your Clan isn't something that is forced- if you felt waning loyalty to WindClan then perhaps it was better for my Clan that you left." She continued, eyes lighting with a faint spark of a challenge- while this subject wasn't one that truly concerned her, she was slightly interested to see how Rippedsky could justify his actions.

"I didn't want to become something I hated..." His voice was barely more than a whisper as he responded to the question. He hadn't expected Brindlewhisker to prod so delicately through the question. In fact, the Skyclan deputy had anticipated as much disdain as Ashstar threw his way on a daily basis. There was no denying the fact he had abandoned the clan he had been born into. The amount of hatred and confrontation he had gotten for it was justified. Leaving one's clan was almost taboo. But, even now, there was no doubt in the tom's mind that he had not made a mistake. Rippedsky found himself longing for the Windclan she-cat not to think poorly of him for all of it. His blue eyes glanced up to try and read her expression as he spoke once more, "Leaving Windclan wasn't easy, but seeing everything happening, everything my clan was, I couldn't bring myself to stay."

He paused for a brief moment to swallow the bile that rose in this throat at the long-forgotten memory surfacing once more, "The stories of all the great cats we were told as kits, each other was fill with tales of honor and bravery, fighting for a good cause. The Windclan I was born into was not that. I remember looking around and seeing those fighting for... what? A mistake the deputy made? Our own pride over hurting another clan's apprentice? And I couldn't bring myself to stay. I couldn't fight for that. The only reason I fought that battle was for all the innocent cats who were trapped to fight the same battle, all the cats I loved. Leaving wasn't easy... But I wouldn't change what happened." For the first time ever, Rippedsky shared what had happened within him. Sure, it most likely wouldn't change much, but it was at least the truth. He tried so hard to forget his past. Yet, it never left him.

As he had rambled on, his gaze went back to fixing the grey stone in an intense stare. He was a bit worried as to how the she-cat would react. It felt ridiculous being so open with a cat that many would consider his enemy. For some reason, Brindlewhisker felt like the furthest thing from an enemy. Talking to her felt as natural, if not more so, than it did with any other clanmate, or even Cherrymist. A strange feeling prickled in his chest as he sat under the silence of the cool night. For greenleaf, the darkened air held a chill that sent a shiver through his spine. The silence was unnerving as the black and white tom waited for the other deputy to say something. He expected something less than great, but part of him longed for and hoped there would be understanding. If not, they could part ways back to their own clans. Brindlewhisker and Rippedsky could retire to the roles they were meant to play within the confides of their own camps, and pretend like they had never met as friends.