Thornburn [c]

Swiftheart finally got the kits to take a nap as she slipped silently out of the nursery.  Another queen having agreed to watch them while she got a break and stretched her legs.  As she was walking out, she noticed her sister Roseburn.  

She knew that she had been isolating herself a bit lately... it was pretty well known that she was not happy with Nightstalker now becoming Nightstar.  For what reasons this was Swiftheart didn't know as she was not with them in the Thunderclan camp when Shadowclan was split up... but their father's death certainly didn't help Night and Rose's already strained relation.  Then there was the whole scene at the gathering... where Roseburn and Snowfoot had a yelling match in front of all the other clans... That had hurt Swiftheart alot, seeing her sister and good friend at each other so much like that.  Swiftheart had never really gotten into conflicts with anyone and seeing two that she cared about so much doing that was not so great.

Swiftheart had felt that she had at least always tried to stay close with Roseburn... but when they were split up for nearly a moon and then Swiftheart having gotten busy with her family and spending more and more time with her mate Duskflight and their kits and taking care of the nursery and doing warrior duties and and and... it was hard to have time for everything was all as much as she wanted to spend time with everyone.

She slowly approached her younger sister with her usual soft smile and upbeat attitude.  "hey, erm... would you wanna go hunting? or even just take a walk?  she offered her.  She shuffled on her paws a little "I know we havent had alot of time to hang out alot as much lately and im sorry about that.

(ohhh I just love the different way Swift and Night handle things,
Swift: apologizing already for something pretty much out of her control
Night: ... ROSEEEEEEE!!!!)

she grinned a little "but, im here now if u wanna she was always on the optimistic side of things, that was typical of her

Swiftheart wasnt exactly sure what they would even do... she felt like she wanted to do something to connect with her sister more than just a regular hunt... but she felt bad not even knowing what her sister's interests were...

As a kit, it had been easy, sneak out of camp to have a peak around and boom, she was the cool big sister and it was all harmless.  Besides, Swiftheart always didnt like the kits had to stay cooped up rule anyways... but now?? she hadnt the faintest clue what she could do to make her sisters day and it sadned her a little that she had allowed herself to fall so out of touch... hmm part of it was out of her control... the flood had meant alot of time apart ... she promised silently to herself that she would do better in not letting other relations slip down this slippery path.

Looking to her sister she shugged
"Alright, hmm how about you pick what we do, it can be anything you want okay?" she offered with a nod.  She wanted to also maybe get a chance to talk with Roseburn too about what was causing all this upset-ness but figured if she led with that it could come down too much and too authority like, which was not really her style and she knew her sister well enough to know it was DEFENETLY not rose's style.  By getting to do something fun first, she hoped it might let rose open up a little more if something was bothering her lately... that was the plan and the hope at least... she would have to wait and see how open Rose was to any of this

Roseburn was eating a squirrel towards the edge of camp when a shadow covered her vision. She looked up, spotting Swiftheart and inwardly prepared herself for another scolding. She didn't know what she did, but she probably did something. It was always something.

Instead, though, her sister asked if she wanted to go do something. The honest answer would be to say no, she didn't. That she was just fine here eating her squirrel. But Swiftheart was right. It had been a while since they hung out. Although Roseburn wasn't fully convinced that was all it was. Everyone else was convinced something was wrong with her, and Roseburn was certain that was what this was as well. Just a ploy for Swiftheart to interrogate her.

Still, Roseburn sat up, stretching, before offering a loose shrug. "Hunting is fine."

And so she waited for Swiftheart to lead the way.

(OOC: happens before the whole badger thing)

Swiftheart purred with a nod ok great! she meowed happily in her usual upbeat spirit.

She lead the way out of camp and into the forest beyond. She wondered what her sister's favorite food was..  hmm she had been munching on a squirrel maybe they could catch another one. A part of her felt a little guilty for not knowing immedietly what Rose's favorite was automatically.  She used to know but it could have changed by now, the whole time they had spent apart in different clans had her miss alot of time with her.  She guiltily felt like she was unsure of anything her sister was like anymore or what she liked.

As they walked along, Swiftheart felt like she should say something or else a long silence of akwardness may set in.  "hmm so how was Thunderclan life like?" she asked genuinely curious as to how everything there was and what it was like over on that side of the forest.

"In skyclan they climb trees all the time, I made a new friend Lichensun, he showed me how to climb fast like them a little bit" she purred thinking back to the skyclan camp that had the tall trees all around and how the warriors there used that in their hunting... ughhh but they had the reverse sleep schedule so living with them was nice to be over with. Oh and for like almost the entire time I had this terrible case of whitecough it was aweful! I think it was the same stuff Frostar had...  hmm ugh how did she manage to lead the conversation right into that?! Ugh that was not her usual.

She quickly moved on "hmm and they let all sorts of past loners live with them too" she said a bit with a frown thinking about the forgotten order and all the grief they had brought with them. However... she thought back to Crimson's family and the innocent kit he had... maybe leopard's really could change their spots... Maybe the past was finally settled.  She hoped so and that there would be no need for further anger on either side. So long as skyclan stayed to themselves that was fine by her.

"Oh and then I met their leader too! she said excited. "She was pretty busy so we didnt talk super long but she seemed... generous in taking us in but ... hmm also cautious about us too? I dunno it was hard to describe but overall she seemed reasonable enough. Oh did you know that she is the one that had her kits at the gathering? Yeah that's her, I betta those kits will one day be leader too, being born at a gathering and all must be some sorta omen or something like that, don't ya think?

Well Roseburn certainly would be reminded of her older sisters love of talking about all sorts of things by now and how talkative she was.

At first the pair was walking in silence, but of course that wasn't Swiftheart's style. She couldn't remember when it had become hers.

Her sister asked about ThunderClan, but she didn't really have any room to speak. Swiftheart was dumping all this information on her, and Roseburn couldn't keep up. Everytime she thought her sister was done, she just.....kept talking.

She had basically started to tune her sister out at that point, keeping quiet, until she noticed that Swiftheart had stopped talking, and was looking at her as though expecting a response. And Roseburn had no idea what she even asked.

"Uh, yeah, I guess..." Hopefully that was the right thing to say.

She spotted a mouse among the grasses, and so took the opportunity to get away from the awkward conversation, using the original plan of hunting as an excuse.

She was just about on top of it, but once she had made the leap, the extra mud caused her to slip. She quietly cursed under her breath, before standing up, shaking her fur out.

She never knew she hated mud this much.

Roseburn is attempting to catch a mouse for 3 sp. Catch was unsuccessful.
117/120 SP

The member 'Karuna' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Hunting Dice' : 9

Swiftheart went silent as her sister started to go for a mouse. She hoped she could catch it! Watching intently she waited for Roseburn to go for it.

It was looking like she would get it! So close to it!! Eughh.. the extra mud from all that storm and rain had slipped her up last second as the mosue disappered escaping. Swiftheart blinked looking over at her younger sister covered in the muck. Ick ... it stunk too, she did her best not to wrinkle her nose too much as she approached. "Aww good try" she meowed flicking bits of mud off Rose best she could "Youll get the next one maybe she purred doing her best to keep on the positive end of things even though her sister was coated in the ick.

So far, this hunting was not exactly going how she thought it might, but that was okay, things didnt always have to go to plan.

"Right then, umm you were gonna tell me how you were doing and how Thunderclan was? she meowed hoping to change the subject and allow Rose to actually talk now.

She tensed a bit as Swiftheart flicked pieces of mud off of her, scowling at her own stench. Her sister asked about ThunderClan again, this time actually keeping her mouth shut. But Roseburn didn't know how much she wanted to share.

"ThunderClan was alright, I guess. They're not much different from us, just do things during the day. And the prey they eat is less.....slimy." She wrinkled her nose, thinking of the frogs and lizards. It had been fine when they were all she knew, but now? They didn't seem as appetizing to her.

She didn't know what else she wanted to share, about her leg, which Swiftheart could probably see the scarring that had been caused anyway, or about her fallout with some of her Clanmates. Other than that, what else was there to say?

Should she talk about Nightpaw?

Swiftheart listened quietly and nodded as her sister spoke listening to her and paying close attention. hmm the prey was less slimy but otherwise it was all fine??... her sister did not give much detail but that was alright she supposed.

She gave a little nod and a small smile. "hmm okay" she meowed after some silence to allow for Roseburn to add anything else on that she wanted... which evidently was very little.

Swiftheart wasn't sure exactly how to proceed but mainly, she just wanted to make sure that her sister was happy.
"... and how are you Roseburn? You are taking care of yourself? I know these last couple moons have been... challenging she asked caringly. With their home washed away, their father dead and their leader Froststar dead as well... it was understandable if everyone was on edge

There was no sense of scolding or anything like that at all in her voice.

She genuinely cared for Rose even though the time spent between the two had been under serious strain with all the events going on and Swiftheart's new family.

Swiftheart worried that this was poking at her too much and that she would not appreciate this and probably get upset if she wasn't very careful or if she continued to far down this line of questioning... it could come off as authoritarian : as much as it was not meant to.

"you dont have to talk about anything you dont want to though. We could keep hunting instead" she quickly added on frazzled as she bit her tongue...

Stars! what are you doing Swift?? You have really lost your touch! That did not come out right at all! She scolded herself silently in her head.

"I'm taking care of myself, I guess, yeah. Well enough, at least."

She has definitely been lacking on her social game, though. This was becoming painfully clear. But who was there to talk to nowadays? Swiftheart had her family, today was a rare one where she could get time. And anyone else? They wanted nothing to do with her. She's just been..... fading. And she hated that.

Her sister said they could return to hunting, and Roseburn wasted no time with that.

A squirrel was digging through the muddy dirt, burying some nuts, and oblivious to the cats nearby. Just the chance she needed. This time she was mindful of how slippery the ground beneath her was, digging her claws in as she prepared to leap at the creature.

When all was said and done, Roseburn had the furry rodent hanging by it's tail in her jaws, and she padded back to rejoin her sister, in a reasonably better mood.

Roseburn is attempting to catch a squirrel for 3 sp. Catch was successful.
114/120

The member 'Karuna' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Hunting Dice' : 1