Dancing in the Mist [c]

Mallowmist had been grateful for the break in constant snow that seemed to be pelting the forest as of recent. It brought a new energy to her bones, as if the sunshine brought direct rejuvination to the she-cat. Her frame still blended in with the covered territory that she called home, only her face and paws seemed to stand out among all of the snow. Swiftly, she trotted through Riverclan's lands to reach Sunningrocks. Throughout her entire life, it had been held by Riverclan. Although, she wasn't blind to the fact that the territory often was a point of contention between Thunderclan and themselves. It had been one of her many aspirations to find out just as much as she could about the territory while in apprenticeship, so she would be able to answer or navigate anything thrown her way as a warrior.

Thankfully, her patrol had already finished their circuit for the day. It left her a good window of time to go relax, and that was her intention. She also thought briefly about the idea of hunting, in continuing being useful in the otherwise harsh times that seemed to fall upon the clan. Settling down on one of the stones that were covered in much less snow, Mallowmist allowed herself to enjoy some sun, while also listening to the forest around her.

A sense of security and over-confidence had been building in the days leading up to Otterdance's ceremony, and now that he had his name, he was cockier than ever. Now that he could (without breaking any rules, at least) leave camp on his own, he'd been spending time doing whatever it was he wanted - no forced hunting patrols or assessments from his uptight mentor. He got his duties done, of course, but now he had the freedom to act as he pleased and wasn't subject to doing whatever someone else told him just because they were older.

Having just gotten off of his final patrol for the day, Otterdance had nothing better to do at camp than he did out in the territory. He much preferred to stay out, especially now that the sun's rays danced occasionally beyond the canopy of trees overhead. Though the river was still frozen, he craved an afternoon snack, and fish sounded delightful. What he wasn't expecting, though, was Mallowmist to be relaxing on the rocks. Grin painted onto his maw, he approached her with a glint of playfulness in his eyes. "What's a beautiful molly like you doing out in the cold? Can't be comfortable, hmm? All that snow. I'll clear a spot for you." With a few sweeps of his tail, he brushed as much snow away from the stone as he could. Settling down on it himself, he left a spot there for her as he fluffed out his own fur. "You're welcome to join me. We can keep each other warm."

The warrior had begun to drift off into a sense of sleep before the sounds of another cat approaching woke her. Scenting it was a fellow Riverclan cat before she properly opened her eyes, her blue gaze settled upon the patterned tom. Her tail flittered across the rock in a sense of amusement at his tone, as well as the prideful way he carried himself. No shame at all from this tom, is there? She thought to herself, amusement twinkling within her gaze.

Allowing her limbs to stretch out before her, the snow-kissed feline eventually rose from her resting spot. The sun had taken away some of the snow around her, but her pelt was indeed damp from what she had opted to rest on top of. Giving a quick shake to release any moisture she could, Mallowmist licked the side of her paw to give a couple of swipes to the side of her face. "Enjoying the freedom of being finished with my patrols." She answered simply, keeping her gaze just slightly offset from the tom. Mallowmist wasn't oblivious to his flirty nature, but would be lying if she admitted any distaste towards it. In fact, quite the opposite - she enjoyed how flirty he was towards her. A quiet prrt? came as a result of his invitation, only for her to swiftly shift from being on her stone to Otterdance's. "I suppose, that would be quite smart."

Settling down next to the tom, she groomed her side just a bit more to get a couple of water droplets off. After all, it'd be quite rude of her to get her companion wet after he offered warmth. "How have you enjoyed being a warrior?" She prompted, opting for light conversation.

"Hmm, I suppose I could say the same." Otterdance said with a smile, purring as the she-cat joined him in the small space he'd cleared for them. "You always struck me as the intelligent type. I see I was correct." A wink towards the molly indicated his playfulness, and he gently conformed his body around her own to protect her from the cold winds and bits of snow that occasionally stirred in the air. The warmth was nice, he had to admit. "Mmm, the freedom is nice. I'm sure you're experiencing the same feeling, finally being able to act on your own and not at the direction of your mentor. It wasn't long ago that we were both in the apprentice den, after all." Otterdance chirped, playfully intertwining his fluffy tail with hers. "There's more to it than that, though. I feel like I've made a name for myself. Earned my place in the Clan." It was true- there were times he felt like he didn't quite belong, whether that be because of his heritage or something else, the tom was unsure.