Solitary in Love [for Stags]

Shrikestar was standing on the edge of camp, taking in the fresh air. He breathed it in, savoring the good weather. Considering how things had been throughout the nights, it wouldn't last long, so he should enjoy it for however long he could. Standing there by himself, he allowed himself to think on things he usually didn't have time for. Being the leader had been his dream, and when once it had seen so far away, now he was living it. It was as amazing as it was daunting. There was so much for him to do that he had little time for himself. That was what he had signed up for. His lives were for the clan, and he wouldn't have it any other way. It was just something to think about.

It had been some time since Hawkheart had passed. She missed him. It was a deep longing that made her feel as if her heart was removed from her chest and taken to some unknown designation. The grief had remained, but it was dulling to only an ache versus the sharp pain. Many walks on the moor had been filled with pondering thoughts and silent prayers, hoping her love would send down a sign that it would be okay to move on. That he would forgive her. On one of those said walks, a hawk flew overhead, shrieking out a cry before moving on and disappearing across the Gorge. She wasn't foolish enough to know for sure that was her mate, hawks were common after all. However, it was enough for her. She had allowed her feelings to be accepted and realized, not hidden and shoved down. Perhaps it was dishonest to Hawkheart in his life, but she had felt the connection with Shrikestar even when Hawkheart had been alive. The loyalty to her promise had stood in her unwillingness to chase after those feelings and remain closed off to anything more than a friendship. But Hawkheart was gone now, dead. He would never be coming back. She was still young with hopefully many moons ahead of her. She deserved to have a full nest and more children to love and nurture.

The game that she had going with Shrikestar was new. It was fun. His feelings and emotions were hard to read, but she liked a challenge and a chase. Now that she had decided it was right to move on, she would lean into the game. Coyotegrin had been a flirt in her even younger youth and enjoyed the give and take of the courtship.

Picking up her pace, Coyotegrin slid next to Shrikestar as he sat. Her fur brushed up against his and she looked up at him with a coy smirk. "Is someone sitting here?" Her playful voice was accompanied by a flick of a tail and a cocked head. She knew the answer, but it was nothing more than a line up for her next comment.

Shrikestar heard someone approaching him, but he didn't turn around to look at them, figuring that they would call to him for what they needed. He was surprised to feel that person slide in next to him, their fur brushing against each other. Looking to the side, he found Coyotegrin sitting there next to him, a coy smirk on her face. He laughed at her question, not moving to make any further room. It was comforting in a way, having her that close to him. "Now there is," he replied, smirking slightly. He looked over Coyotegrin, his smirk becoming a fond smile. The two of them had gone through a lot together, but she was an important part of his life. She wouldn't be part of his council if he didn't trust her explicitly.

Coyotegrin stiffled a purr at Shrikestar's warm look towards her. Her pelt felt hot and she feel exposed, seen, and vulnerable with any amount of eyes in camp at a given time. She leaned against him still, subtly, before turning her gaze to the entrance and exit to the camp. The warrior returned her look to Shrikestar with a sense of coyness to her face. "Maybe we should do something more than just stand around camp, and do a little patrol? Hmm?" Her head cocked in a question, but she quickly stood making it clear that she was serious, and while he could decline it wasn't so much of a request but something she had clearly been planning. However, she did wait for his response before moving. She truly, deeply wanted some alone time with him, in an implied romantic way, to get to know him on a deeper level. Of course, she knew a lot about him but a lot of Shrikestar was still a bit of a mystery to her. It was intriguing; with Hawkheart she already knew everything about him because she was there with him his whole life. It's hard to not know every detail with a cat like that. But, Shrikestar was different. It wasn't until towards the end of the Dark Forest invasion, when she was already spoken for, when their paths really met. She wanted to see if their paths converged.

Shrikestar watched as Coyotegrin got up, offering up a patrol for just the two of them. He followed suit, stretching out his legs before standing by her side. "A patrol sounds like a good idea. It would be nice to get out of camp for a little bit." The two of them left the camp together, looking as if they were going on a normal patrol together. There was more to it than that, though. There was something there that neither of them spoke, but it was clear that it existed. Just what it meant couldn't be fully articulated yet, though. "It feels nice to have some time to ourselves," he commented, padding out along the territory with a slow but purposeful gait. As a leader, he had a lot he needed to do, so time to himself wasn't usually on the table. "How are you feeling, Coyotegrin?" There were multiple layers to that question: how she felt at the moment, how she felt in the wake of Hawkheart's passing, how she was feeling being on patrol with him. It seemed like a simple question. Perhaps it wasn't, though.

Coyotegrin kept pace with Shrikestar, although to her it was quicker due to her size. It wasn't difficult for her, however. They walked in silence for a good portion of time before Shrikestar asked her how she was. It took her a second of thought, but she quickly perfected her words. "I was sad for a while, but I'm doing a lot better. I thought that life was over when Hawkheart passed and my son, but I have recently learned that there's always opportunities from loss." With her last word, she glanced up with a glint in her eye. A look meant to say 'You, you're my opportunity, make me yours too.' With the glance only brief, she looked forward once more. "How about you, Shrikestar?"

A light breeze brushed across their fur as they walked, the smell of their territory tickling their noses. Shrikestar thought for a moment, his pawsteps slowing a touch. "As leader, all deaths in my clan hurt me. Everyone means something to me." He brushed his tail across her flank, smiling softly. "You know, I had a crush once. Many moons ago, when I was an apprentice. We didn't agree on everything, but I liked her a lot. She's been gone a long time, though, and I never forgot her, you know? I wasn't sure love would ever be for me afterwards. Time has passed, and I'm happy for each new pairing in our clan. Now, though? I think I could see myself in a relationship again."