Twinkle of the Lights [c]

Scorchtalon sat on a stretch of grass near the Thunderpath, looking up at the sky. It had been so long since he'd seen the night sky ablaze with stars, or felt the comfort of knowing his ancestors were watching over him. The clans had lost so much fighting the Dark Forest, but it was finally over. Strangely, Scorchtalon couldn't bring himself to move on, to pretend that the past few moons of terror simply hadn't happened. Everything seemed to be moving in a blur as of late, between his warrior duties, taking on a new apprentice, and caring for the kit he'd found abandoned in Windclan territory and subsequently adopted. He felt stretched thin and exhausted, barely managing to slip away in the night for some alone time. He knew he'd be tired in the morning, but it was worth it for just a moment's rest.

Marshmallow needed a break from the all-too familiar sounds and smells of the camp, but with Fawnpatch now gone with the other Dark Forest warriors, she didn't have much of a reason to hunt by herself. She found herself drawn to the Thunderpath for an odd reason. She felt uneasy as her paws took her to the grey stone. She couldn't remember any good it brought her.

She found herself at the place where Loudnose got hit, but... the aura seemed less grim. It was still dark, but she felt a bit happier. At least it was Windclan's area. She could never bring herself to go back to Thunderclan's part. Just as she sat down near the oddly quiet road, she noticed a fluffy Windclan cat cat just across the other side. She tensed- just for a moment- wondering if he was going to attack. But... He looked nice.

"Hey there." She mewed at him. She couldn't find her words for a moment, what if he attacked her like that Thunderclan cat did? She could fight back- she knew how!... Now. Please be friendly.

Scorchtalon's ears perked up as he heard a cat on the other side of the Thunderpath call out to him. In his distraction, he hadn't even heard them approach, but he supposed all Shadowclan cats were stealthy in that way. Looking over, he spotted a black and white spotted she-cat, someone he could faintly recall seeing at a gathering.

"Hello!" He replied cheerfully, waving his tail in greeting. "You out for a night stroll? It's a lot quieter here than it is during the day, though I suppose even monsters have to sleep sometime. I'll admit though, the weather is extremely pleasant tonight, even though there is a bit of a chill, nights will probably get warmer when Greenleaf gets here. To be quite honest, Greenleaf is my favorite season, the sun is absolutely delightful up on the moors. Do you have a favorite?"

Scorchtalon rambled on, cocking his head to the side as he waited for an answer. He might have been oversharing just a tad bit, but he'd always loved making new friends, and what better way to do that than to start conversations, right?

Marshmallow almost let out a loud sigh of relief when she realised the tom was friendly. She narrowed her eyes a little. I know him. I definitely saw him at a gathering. Her memory was failing her, she couldn't even remember if they spoke.

"A night stroll... I guess. I'm just trying to take a break from chaos of camp- everyone waking up for patrols- didn't you know that Shadowclan is up at night?" She licked her paw and drew it over her ear calmly. "Oh, I suppose as a nocturnal Shadowclan cat, I'm quite used to the cold." She commented. "Though that harsh leaf-bare even left us shivering in the dens." How long ago was that again? "I think I like Leaffall. Staying up until dawn is nice, I like seeing the pink sky and the orange leaves, so pretty." Her eyes shined. She could definitely do... Something, with this tom.

"Kind of a silly question, but have you had a frog before? They sometimes wander across the Thunderpath, here, and I always wonder if Windclan catches them." She put one of her black paws on the cool stone of the Thunderpath, it was so very quiet, she almost expected something to jump out at her, but it was only silence apart from their small voices and the occasional bird or frog.

Isn't this the same spot Loudnose got crushed? If it was, there was no surprise there wasn't any blood, rain and snow probably washed it away, but the Thunderpath was always slightly sticky, as if there were a layer of blood stuck to it, never drying, never washing away. She almost completely lost focus as she stared at the dark stone. I'm very bored... Come on, cat, give me something fun to do...

Scorchtalon had prepared himself for the other cat to be annoyed by his rambling and walk away (as others had done), so he was pleasantly surprised when she responded. He listened carefully, nodding along. Part of him wondered why Shadowclan cats enjoyed roaming the forest at night so much, but he figured every clan had its quirks, especially with Riverclan eating fish and Skyclan climbing trees like squirrels. He couldn't help but agree with her comment about Leaf-fall, but the mention of frogs had him wrinkling his nose.

"I've never had one myself. They're a bit too... odd-looking for my tastes. And what's up with those weird sounds they make?" He replied honestly, before cringing as he realized he might have offended her. "But, err, I'm sure they taste great!" He added hurriedly.

"I'm Scorchtalon by the way. You're uhh... Marsh.. something, right? I think I've seen you at a gathering before, though we haven't had one of those in what feels like forever.

Marshmallow turned her attention back to the ginger tom. "Oh, they do, I'm not surprised you think they look gross, even some Shadowclan cats dislike them." She commented, seeming unoffended by what he said. She seemed to perk up when the tom spoke about the gathering. I knew it! Scorchtalon... "Yes, Marshmallow's my name. We did meet at the gathering! I remember... Though.. I also remember the Dark Forest." She mimicked a shiver. I know I'm going to be lonely now, but maybe this cat could be a... Replacement of sorts for Fawnpatch's patrols.

"It's really nice to talk to another clan cat that isn't super unfriendly across a border." She mewed. Marshmallow wasn't going to suggest they meet again straight away, because in her mind, if she didn't suggest it, then she wasn't the one in the wrong.

Scorchtalon nodded at Marshmallow's words, his eyes lighting up with recognition as he remembered that fateful gathering. The conversation had been pleasant but brief, and in the chaos, it had been entirely overshadowed by the Dark Forest invasion. A shadow darkened the ginger tom's gaze briefly at the thought of the recently defeated undead warriors, but the she-cat's following words quickly brightened it.

Talking to him was... nice? He was glad that she'd been enjoying the conversation as much as he had, it had been a while since he felt like he could truly relax. So what if she was from a different clan? There was no harm in having friends... right?

"It is nice," He agreed, "Usually we'd be arguing or clawing each other's fur off by now. Although, it is quite a shame we have to talk on either side of the Thunderpath like this."

Scorchtalon didn't stop to consider his next words, though he probably should have.

"You know," He started, the tip of his fluffy tail flicking back and forth as he spoke. "If you'd like to continue this chat, maybe we can meet at fourtrees? It is neutral territory after all."

Marshmallow watched the tom, head tilted as he spoke. At fourtrees? Her ear flicked. Well... I didn't expect him to be this open so easily. She licked a black paw, drawing it over her ear calmly. "Yes." She mewed, after a lick of her paw. "I'm surprised neither of us have gotten hurt. I don't have very good experience with cats in other clans... Well... Across borders, I mean." She put the paw down and smiled up at the tom.

She was hesitant to agree, but it was safer than meeting at the border and being accused of being in love... or something. "I am enjoying this chat!" She began her response to the tom's fourtrees suggestion. "It would certainly be better to chat at fourtrees rather than here... Tomorrow either at dawn or dusk would be good. I think I'd be busy during the rest of the night... And, well, you'd be busy in the day." He could trust me if I act like a hardworking and responsible cat. Scorchtalon wasn't just falling into a trap, it was like he was chasing it.

"Dawn works for me," Scorchtalon shrugged, "Maybe I can get some early morning hunting done on the way." As the reality of his suggestion began to dawn on him, he briefly struggled against a twinge of guilt, but quickly dismissed it.

"Cats go to fourtrees all the time! Besides, the walk will be good exercise!" He insisted, seemingly trying to convince himself more than anything. He seemed more like his normal, cheerful self now, a sharp contrast to his brooding demeanor earlier in the night.

"I should probably get back to camp though, the sun'll be up soon and my clanmates will be wondering where I've gone. Fourtrees at dawn right? See you then!" He said, turning and disappearing into the grass with a friendly flick of his ears.