Éros and Philia {closed}

As Greenleaf marched on, there had been whispers of Pinepaw's father; Harefoot, retiring to the elder's den. ThunderClan's last scrap with the dogs had left the ginger tom weary, and his son didn't blame him. It wouldn't be right to bother his dad with questions about hunting patrols or border markings, however Pinepaw wanted to ensure he wouldn't be left behind in his training. Oftentimes he'd tag along with the occasional patrol willing to take on another apprentice. At sunset he'd practice battle moves with his denmates, but ever still, Pinepaw was worried that his lack of a capable mentor would hurt his image.

While the apprentice's self-assured mindset never once faltered, his ego certainly needed a boost after having his ear shredded by a ShadowClan warrior. Pinepaw frowned as he thought of that entitled dung-eater. Tanglerose didn't have any respect for the code. It didn't much help that Pinepaw's ear never fully healed, leaving a 'v' shaped split down the cartilage. His frustration for recent circumstances left Pinepaw feeling raw. Deciding to take a walk, the tom made his way over to the entrance of camp when Beecloud caught his eye. His brother was larger and far more muscular than the younger tom. The only features they shared were from their mother, but Beecloud's father, and Ferretnose and Harefoot's former mate; Beartooth, passed before Pinepaw had the chance to meet him. Beartooth would have been Pinepaw's dad, too, if circumstances had been different.

The elders had told the tom that Beartooth had fallen victim to the cold Leafbare wind, that his mother had found the late deputy curled up in the snow like he was sleeping. The concept of such a cold season seemed foreign to the tom. All he'd ever known was abundance and lush greenery. The tales of the frozen river and the lack of prey gave Pinepaw a thought, and he padded to Beecloud's side, russet tail high. "'Ello, badger-face." He mewed in jest, green eyes sparkling with amusement. "You want to go to the river? My ear's fine, and camp's gotten boring. If we don't tell mum we're gone, we can stay out late, maybe catch a squirrel?" While Pinepaw had matched his brother in height, his lanky youthful frame still looked quite small compared to Beecloud's full-grown one. The russet tom looked at his brother with disguised admiration. He was a good cat, meeting the mark of who Pinepaw wanted to be. Of course the russet tom's life was going to be far more perfect, far more calculated. But looking at his brother; who'd trumped all the obstacles that were still in Pinepaw's path, well it bred a quiet respect, one hidden under play-names and ear-cuffs. The hope that Beecloud would take up Pinepaw's offer only grew. He wanted his sibling to see that he was just as capable as him, and maybe even fulfill his self-made prophecy of perfection along the way.

Beecloud drew little shapes in the sandy dirt, swirling patterns giving way under the sharpness of his large claw. The days were blurring together more than usual lately, with the forest giving no signs of changing or shifting... but ThunderClan remained on high alert. Rainstrike was still a threat, at least in the mind of her most avid enemies, and she had even challenged their most volatile apprentice on her way into exile. This, of course, gave even the most optimistic cats the impression that she would be back for blood. It wasn't likely that she had gone very far. She had pursued Oakstar's life for so long, under all of their noses. Beecloud, at least, was determined to not let it happen again.

Patrols become more frequent. The oppressive heat was near suffocating, even causing some of the hardiest trees' leaves to shrivel. He had heard rumors and whispers, as well as Ivystar's official statement, speaking to the wretched state of the river. The territories of every clan depended on the river, from which many streams, creeks, and tributaries came and went. ShadowClan's marshes, wet and spongy as they were on their own, could not exist without that water. The elders were quite convinced that ShadowClan was sneaking rats back to camp from Carrionplace as they spoke. It was enough to make his skin crawl.

Pinepaw broke up his musings and steady stream of consciousness with a greeting, an insult, and an offer. The young warrior simpered, as until Pinepaw's birth, he himself had been the youngest. There was no one to torment, except maybe Cherryblossom. They might've been duplicates of their two fathers, from Beecloud's protruding extra claws to Pinepaw's newest battle scar, but by eavesdropping on the brothers for only a moment, one would find they were near opposite to the toms they appeared to replicate. Beecloud lifted a hefty paw and grabbed Pinepaw's head, ruffling his fur with playful aggression until it was a tufted mess. "Sure, but call me badger-face again and you're going for a swim!" he laughed, lurching to his paws and making moves to leave the camp.

The rhythmic chirping of cicadas sung in the pairs' ears, and Beecloud kept his eyes fixed on the treetops from which they made their sounds. His mouth hung partly open, bottom lip giving way to his ghastly lower canines, his head full of many a useless thought; he thought it might be nice of him to travel near the SkyClan side of the forest and bring home a pinecone for Robinloft. He felt his belly turn over at the idea of presenting it to her, and ears hot, he shook his head free of the bees that buzzed inside and tried to focus on the scent of squirrels rather than pinecones. He tracked one particular squirrel, eyes narrowed to slits as he kept close watch on the prey, before bounding over a fallen log at his soon-to-be catch.

His paws landed on it squarely, with refined skill, as he clipped its spine. He emerged from the thick undergrowth to Pinepaw's side, dropping the squirrel off where predators would not seek to steal it from them. "Keep your eyes out, by the way," he said, warily, "Everyone's been kind of skeeved out lately, and with the river half-empty, RiverClan might be a little more keen on trespassing. I'm not worried, but I also don't feel like getting my face chewed off by a hungry fisher-cat today."

Beecloud caught the squirrel.
157/160 SP (-3)

The member 'Grizzly' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 4

Beecloud was quick to take up Pinepaw's offer, retaliating the apprentice's play-insult with a hefty paw of his own. Before Pinepaw could duck out of the way, his brother's large paw was already ruffling his fur, pressed into his forehead with the aim only a sibling could manage. "Ey!" Pinepaw protested, taking a wide step back. He'd spent all morning grooming his fur to perfection, russet pelt smooth and shiny. Now a few stray tufts of hair stuck out from his head, ruining his handsome up-do. The frown on the apprentice's maw was quick to fade as the two made their way from camp, delving into the forest that sloped below.

Patrolling out in the territory once more cast Pinepaw's thoughts to Rainstrike. She'd been exiled via the clan's choice. It was disappointing, with the volatile warrior gone there was one less interesting cat to talk to. Given, it was probably safer that her pelt was as far from camp as possible, seeing as how she placed a snake in Oakstar's nest and supposedly fought on the wrong side of the battle during the scrap at Fourtrees. Still, often he wished she'd return so he could talk to her. There was something about the she-cat that interested him beyond measure. Perhaps it was her unconventional approach to fame, or maybe it was the act of breaking the code itself. Rainstrike knew something Pinepaw didn't, and he wanted in on the secret, convinced he could keep his morals in the process.  

The tom's train of thought was cut off as Beecloud left his side, bounding over a fallen tree to leap into the undergrowth, returning with a squirrel. Before Pinepaw could congratulate his brother, the tom warned him to stay on high alert, noting that the river had been lower than usual. Pinepaw stifled a smirk at Beecloud's comment. RiverClan's warriors wouldn't be a match for the both of them. Just because the river had lowered didn't mean the border did. Pinepaw's battle with Tanglerose a few sunrises ago didn't seem to have an effect on his self-confidence. Sure, he'd lost the scrap, but he'd given her a good beating to return home with, Pinepaw was sure of it.

"RiverClan cats can't even eat real prey, I bet their teeth would snap in half if they even tried to bite into a cat like us!" Pinepaw stuck his tongue out at his brother in jest, mocking his concern. Of course he'd listen to Beecloud if the time ever came for it, but for now, he had squirrels to hunt. They continued their walk, the land sloping farther down. The constant heat never broke, still just as radiant below the thick tree cover. Pinepaw found himself panting as they reached a grotto. Inhales of breath brought the scent of a second squirrel to his maw, and the young tom dropped into a crouch, sneaking away from his brother. He ducked under a fern to find a russet-pelted creature much like himself nibbling at a nut. Pinepaw locked his jaw and leapt, landing solidly on the squirrel, nipping its neck swiftly.

Pinepaw rolled for a Squirrel. Pinepaw succeeded, costing 3 stamina.

Pinepaw
HP: 20/20
SP: 77/80 (-3)

The member 'lemon' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

The apprentice's snide remark about RiverClan cats tapped a heartstring that Beecloud didn't know was present in his wide chest. He felt his teeth gnash for a moment, looking briefly away from his brother with a furrowed brow. How to approach such a comment? It wasn't uncommon for cats to be as strongly patriotic as Pinepaw was, especially on this side of the river (and who knew what went on in WindClan heads), but there was something minutely uncomfortable in the silence that rang between them afterward. Beecloud couldn't help but feel that he had inflicted it, this momentary rift. "Awe, come on, be a little civil," he said, laughing in-between the syllables, letting humor cut the air. "Ivystar's on good terms with Oakstar lately, and picking a fight with them means picking a fight with ShadowClan."

Beecloud watched Pinepaw hunt with amusement sparking in his eyes. He was curious to see his little brother's hunting progress under Harefoot's gentle tutelage. The russet apprentice didn't seem like the type to respond well to their father's mild-mannered style of teaching. Beecloud knew that he was in good paws, at the very least, so he chose to trust the process. He was pleased to find that Pinepaw was already a skilled hunter. The most he could do was nit-pick: "Watch your tail on the way in, you'll brush the branches and scatter the prey."

The warrior, half in demonstration, took the opportunity to stalk a mouse that was upwind of them. He kept his tail steady, behind him, fluidly weaving through the undergrowth. He took a leap at it, pressing it down under his paws as he dispatched it with simplicity. "Like that," he explained, placing the mouse in a hiding place.

The river was closer to them now, and Beecloud caught a few scents on the wind, of algae and mud and dead fish baking in the sun... more than usual, which was concerning. He wondered how Snowflight was fairing, with the river low. Maybe he was going hungry. His clanmates might appreciate a little extra prey, even if they weren't fond of squirrels. The one criticism that he never understood about them was their vanity and cushiness. It simply wasn't true, the way he saw it. One bad season, a chilly Leafbare or scorching Greenleaf, and their main source of prey was gone for weeks. At least there were always trees in ThunderClan, where something would always hide away.

He smirked, a sudden thought coming to him. "You know how RiverClan cats win their battes?" he said slyly, amber eyes meeting Pinepaw's in devilish slits. "Half the battle party arrives on our shore... they engage our warriors..." Beecloud continued, backing up from his brother, his awkwardly-formed smile growing wider. "And while everyone is caught up... the other half sneaks to the RiverClan shore and ducks under the water!"

Beecloud crouched to the ground, illustrating his point. "They come up to the surface, like snapping turtles," he whispered, coming closer to Pinepaw. "A clanmate leads a ThunderClan warrior to the water's edge... and..."

The large tom roared playfully, lunging forward and pitching Pinepaw into the ferns behind them. "Into the water you go!"

Beecloud caught the mouse.
154/160 SP (-3)

((arrest me i forgot the dice))

The member 'Grizzly' has done the following action : Dices roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

There was a strange silence after Pinepaw's remark on RiverClan. He shot a glance towards his brother and caught him in a state of thinking - one that he was often in. Pinepaw furrowed his brow and wondered what was up, but before he could say anything, Beecloud spoke first. His tone was in defense of RiverClan, but came out light and playful, chuckling. Pinepaw grinned and whapped Beecloud with his tail. "I'm not picking a fight with anyone." He laughed, finding a suitable spot to bury his squirrel. "Just proud to be part of ThunderClan, tha's all."

Pinepaw gave Beecloud a grin as his brother offered him some hunting tips, and then padded off for a demonstration. If any other cat tried to critique his form, Pinepaw may have protested, but Beecloud was given certain liberties, being the tom's brother and all. The apprentice looked up to him, and watched with admiration as he stalked into the undergrowth, fuzzy tail perfectly still. Beecloud returned with a mouse shortly afterward, placing it in a hiding spot to wait until they came back. [color:f28f=3b4b2f]"You never fail to amaze me, badger-face." Pinepaw joked, his compliment masked with a playful insult. At this, a smirk grew on his brother's maw, and Pinepaw suddenly remembered the tom's threat made earlier back at camp. Was Pinepaw to go for a swim?

The apprentice masked a playful grin and quickened his pace ahead of Beecloud, not wanting to make himself an easy target if he was to be vaulted into the river. He turned his head over his shoulder to see Beecloud following, amber eyes in devilish slits. He began to explain a certain RiverClan fighting style, and Pinepaw stopped in his tracks, giggling quietly. Beecloud backed up, tone growing more menacing. The large tom crouched into the ground, fur lit by the sun as it hung over the wilting tree-cover. Dangerously, Beecloud made his way towards Pinepaw, and the apprentice could only strain to hear his whispers, his giggles never ceasing. In a flash, the large warrior lunged forward and barreled into Pinepaw, launching him into the ferns behind. The two rolled down the slope, a flurry of laughs and ear-cuffs. Twigs whipped at their pelt, bracken sticking to every strand of hair, and they arrived at the bottom of the hill looking like bushes.

A wide, flat beach expanded from their falling point, sloping towards the river, now only a shred of what it once was. A small cliff-fall marked where the water used to be, now having receded back into a small stream in the middle of the wide-pass. Pinepaw - still giggling - stood up to gaze at the sight, stunned that the tributary had gotten so low. He slapped his paw over Beecloud's back playfully as he arrived as well, green eyes sparkling with amusement. "You fox-heart." He mewed in jest, whiskers twitching. It was only the small white frame on the far side of the river that pulled Pinepaw's attention away. A cat - although too far over the bank to discern who. "Hey, speaking of RiverClan..." Pinepaw asked, stepping closer to the small cliff that marked where the river had fallen. "Who's that?"