Cloudy Days (c)

Stormpaw may have been named for storms, but he’s never been a fan of them. When the first droplets of rain hit his nose upon exiting the apprentices den this morning, he felt a creeping dread down his spine. He tried to ignore it. After all, he’s an apprentice now, not a silly kit, and he shouldn’t be scared of such trivial things. He should be brave like a real warrior.

However as he’s walking through camp, the rain stops being so gentle and calm, and a peel of thunder cracks across the sky. Stormpaw’s fur puffs up completely, his tail shooting straight up as he lets out a small squeak of fear and nearly tumbles over, running straight into another cat in his attempts to get away from the very sky.

“S-Sorry!” He stammered, backing away once he found his footing and trying to smooth his fur, heart beating hard in his chest. “I’m sorry,” He repeated. “I got… er… startled…”

Dovesight hated storms. The thunder was loud and made her jumpy, and worst of all, she couldn't see the sky. What if that meant her mother couldn't see her? She looked down at the shell she held at her paws. Had Darkglow held this same shell at some point in her life, too? She would have to talk to Tinypool or Flywhisker at some point. She wanted to learn more about her mother. What was she like? Was Dovesight like her at all? She hoped so. It was odd, how Dovesight found she could love a cat she never knew. Did that mean Darkglow might love her too? Was she watching over her and her littermates? Would she be proud at how they had grown?

She let out a startled gasp as another roar of thunder was followed by a force crashing into her. Had she been hit by lightning? Was she going to die?

No. It wasn't lightning. Lightning couldn't talk, and that was definitely a voice speaking to her. She let out a sigh of relief as she turned, seeing a young apprentice, and she smiled.

"That, um, that's okay. I get scared too. But, uh, you can stay here with me, maybe? If we're together, maybe we won't be as scared? My name is Dovesight, what is yours?"

Stormpaw relaxed when the warrior he bumped into didn’t seem annoyed with his clumsiness, and then relaxed further hearing even a warrior experienced his fears. He smiled a bit. “I’d like that.” He said softly, licking his chest a few times to try and relax the rest of his fur. “M-My name’s Stormpaw. I-I know it’s ironic, having that name and then still being scared of-” A fainter roll of thunder still made Stormpaw flinch a bit, but not as much when he was focused on Dovesight. “Storms.”

He moved closer to her, settling down beside her fully so that they could both be resting together under some foliage. He tucked his paws underneath his chest and wrapped his tail around himself, shivering at his own wet fur.

She chuckled as Stormpaw spoke.

"I, um, I don't think what you are named after defines you. My prefix is Dove-, and, well, I'm nothing like a dove." Another chuckle, as she allowed herself to get fully comfortable.

"A dove is supposed to be a symbol of peace, but I, um, yeah I just kind of.... run away? I am actually scared of..... a lot more than storms. I know. Ironic, a cowardly "warrior". Um, my littermates are usually the brave ones. I think you would really like them. They are real nice, and, um, they stick up for me. A lot. Because StarClan knows I can't do that for myself."

Stormpaw looked up at Dovesight as she spoke, relaxing further the more she spoke. He licked his wet fur. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be scared,” He commented softly. “I know I’m scared of a lot of things most of the time.” He chuckled softly, looking down. “Who are your siblings? They sound really nice.” He shifted to get some harder to reach spots.

Dovesight couldn't help but smile as Stormpaw spoke. "My siblings are Rushtalon, Kits spring, and Martenpaw. The four of us are actually pretty close. Like, um, when I'm around them, it's like I don't have to be as scared? If that makes sense? Like, in the end, I know they'll take care of me. And, I guess when it comes down to it, I guess I'd do anything for them too."

Like apparently get herself killed by a dark forest cat. Okay, maybe she could still afford to be smarter with what she did.

"Um, do you have any cats like that? Cats that make you brave, I mean. I have my litter mates, but, um, maybe you have another cat? I think that is, like, something every cat gets at some point. So if you don't have that cat, it just means, uh, that they haven't come into your life yet, I think."

Stormpaw smiled as he listened to Dovesight talk. It’s clear that she really loved her siblings, and it was really nice. He shifted and settled down completely, then at Dovesight’s question, he looked down and contemplated the answer.

“I’m not sure… I always felt really safe around my mom, but I’ve been busy with apprentice duties, so I haven’t spent as much time with her lately. Um… My mentor Owlshriek makes me feel safe whenever we’re training and everything? I’m not super close with anyone though.” He smiled softly. “It sounds nice. I hope you’re right and that I can be like that with someone soon.”

Dovesight smiled down at Stormpaw, although a bit of pain flashed in her eyes.

"Yeah, uh, those could be good cats for you. I, um, I never knew my mom. Something happened to her before we could, um, get the chance to really meet her. And Flywhisker, he was really nice, but they, um, you could tell they really missed her. So me and my littermates really only had each other. But, um, my mentor, Tinypool, said my mom really liked shells. So I keep this one as a sort of piece of her, I guess. If I see her in StarClan, I want to, um, give it to her. I am hoping she would like it."

She looked at the shell she held at her paws, before pushing it over to Stormpaw.

"Um, if you want, you can keep the shell. I can always find another for my mom. Maybe this shell can make you feel safe during storms like this."

Stormpaw listened to Dovesight quietly, and instinctively shifted a bit closer. His heart ached. He can’t imagine how hard losing someone you never even got to meet must have been.

Then Stormpaw’s eyes widened. He stared down at the shell in front of him, and then back up at Dovesight. He felt a lump in his throat and his eyes grew damp. “Really?” He said, voice a little shaky. “A-Are you sure?" He cradled the shell gingerly between his paws. “Thank you, I…” He trailed off for a second. “Just thank you. I-I don’t even know what to say, Dovesight. That's so kind of you."