Pocket Full of Stones (closed)

Having been on a solo hunting patrol, Sunflower had somehow managed to catch a squirrel and a small bird, which was a surprise to him. The lengthy tom usually wasn't the agile type, nor was he very good at hunting, in general, but today, StarClan decided to bless him a bit more than usual. Slowing his trot to a halt, Sunflower found himself at Highpine. It was an interesting place, and not one that brought back good memories, to say the least, but even so, it was a good source of prey, seeing as though there were lots of places for them to be hiding.

Dropping his previous catches at his paws, the tall, slender tom began to dig a hole to place his prey in, when a rustle in some nearby brush sent his fur on end. His abnormally large ears shot straight up and he stopped what he'd been doing to glance around. Staying silent, he didn't dare move an inch as he prepared himself to flee, just in case...

Flintstar's expression was dark as he padded along the border, lost in his own thoughts as he mindlessly trailed the familiar scent - his only concern making sure he remained on his side of the scent line. He had...Lost what remained of his littermates and not only that, he had also lost his father. It had been terrible enough when Asterspark had fallen to the sickness he had been battling so long, but the fact that Sparkfire had disappeared so soon after...

...Frostpaw, Nightpaw, and now Sparkfire. Each of his littermates had left ShadowClan without a word. If it hadn't been for his half-siblings, he would have no family left other than for Mothglow. ...What had caused his siblings' loyalty to be so...Fractured? What had caused each and every one of his littermates to turn their back on ShadowClan, on their family...On him.

He sighed as he pushed himself through a bush, to absorbed in his thoughts to even think about going around when a flicker of white caught his attention and he halted, turning his gaze onto the thin SkyClan cat that stood there like a petrified piece of prey. "...Hello there," he finally said a few heartbeats once it became clear that the SkyClan cat wouldn't be the first one to speak.

What was it with him and his luck of running into SkyClan cats during his solo patrols along the border...?

Unfortunately for him, the cat had noticed him and he had some luck... running into the ShadowClan leader of all cats. The dark pelted tom had mewed a greeting to him, but all the lean tom was able to do in reply was take the tiniest of steps back, his legs quivering. Was he supposed to say hello back? Was it rude not to greet a leader, even if they were from another clan? Sunflower wasn't sure how to handle any of this and continued to stay silent, wondering what the ShadowClanner might do next.

Most of the time, Flintstar rather enjoyed silence - it meant that nothing was expected of him to be said and he wouldn't have to feel awkward. However, what he hated even more than talking...Was awkward silence. His ears twitched as he watched the lanky tom stumble back, able to recognize his stance as fearful.  "I can assure you that I mean you no harm," he said in a low voice, his attempt to make it more comforting. He wasn't even sure why he was bothering, he could have just...Walked away with little issue but yet...He knew the tension between their Clans still wasn't good, not everybody was so easy to let the past fade like he did. He didn't want this tom to have a bad idea of him - so if it he had to be...Ugh, polite, so be it. "...Do you know how...Ah...Wrenspring is faring?" he asked, tilting his head, wondering if the tom would be a bit more talkative if the focus wasn't on him.

Watching and listening as the ShadowClan tom spoke, it would've been clear to any other cat that he meant no true harm, but Sunflower was never too sure and didn't want to take any chances. Keeping his ears perked and continuing to prep himself in case he needed to make a quick getaway, he cocked his head every so slightly at Flintstar's question. Why in StarClan's name would the ShadowClan leader be wondering about his grandkit? Well, whatever the reason, it wasn't his business to stick his nose into.

"G-good," he mewed quickly, but he knew very well that his answer wasn't the leader was looking for, and so the tall, lean tom found it deep within himself to speak once more. "He's... g-good warrior," Sunflower stuttered before snapping his amber gaze down to his paws, his abnormally large ears growing hot from unnecessary embarrassment.

Flintstar's ears twitched, tail swishing around his paws as the SkyClan tom gave him a short, stumbling answer. Ah, so this was how the conversation was going to go - awkwardly. ...Was it best if he just left? He could see that his presence was uncomfortable for the tom and he barely wanted to be here but...Ugh, he could hear the voices of both Mothglow and Freckleface in his head - voices telling him to reach out with other cats more. His Clanmates was who they meant but... Was he really going to let this drop so easily? He hated it, claws digging into the ground beneath him. "That is...Good to hear. I knew his mother quite well when she was an apprentice. Just... Want to make sure that he is doing well," he explained, before he sighed heavily and glanced at the forest behind him. "...I'm...Sorry. I can truly leave if you desire - I simply...Know the tension between our Clans have not been well but I do not hold anything against SkyClan. Important to make...Erm...Friends? To make things...Better?" he meowed, his voice a little uncertain as he tried to find the words. He knew his loyalty would always be with ShadowClan but he had to admit that having...At least one cat he had enjoyed the company of made it harder to want to go to war with SkyClan...Unless he truly felt they were guilt of something.

...That was a good thing, right? Friendship made him consider the price of their hatred for one another a little more.