Twisted Feathers [Silverwing]

Brackenwing scrambled to the top of the lone stump, shivering as she left what scant protection the grass offered from a stiff breeze. Leaf-fall had well and truly set in, with the grass turning shades of gold and brown while the trees in the distance did much the same. Despite rain in recent days, the sky above was cloudless today, offering a clear view across the territory.

She'd mostly just wanted to take the opportunity to get out of camp for a little while, but the lone stump offered the opportunity to watch the territory for potential predators and prey alike, which Brackenwing intended on taking full advantage of before doing a little hunting.

Movement in the corner of her eye made Brackenwing's head turn. Not prey or foe, but Silverwing headed toward her. Brackenwing waved her tail in greeting, remaining where she was for the moment as her bright green eyes returned to scanning the moorland in front of her.

An odd malaise had settled itself deep in Silverwing. She wasn't sure why she had such a feeling, but there were two cats that usually brought her joy. Neither of the two were in camp, so she had set off in search of either of them. The first she found was a familiar marbled tabby. Ever since their first meeting, Silverwing had felt strangely attached to Brackenwing. Running into Brackenwing first had to be destiny, Silverwing did still have to apologize to her. Maybe that would quell the odd feelings that she was experiencing. The wave of Brackenwing's tail sent a spike of happiness through her, forcing a quickening of her pace until she stood in front of Brackenwing. Climbing awkwardly onto the stump, Silverwing settled herself next to her friend. After a moment of silence, she spoke up. "Hey Brackenwing, can we talk for a bit?"

"Hey," Brackenwing greeted, shifting over so that Silverwing would have space to sit. Despite the obvious, rather glaring differences in personality and demeanor, Brackenwing found that when Silverwing wasn't scaring the fur off of her, she liked the younger warrior.

Wanting to talk, generally, constituted scaring the fur off of her. Okay, well, she wasn't truly scared, but it did make her nervous. There was no gathering or other cats for Silverwing to drag her to, so it couldn't have been that bad, at least, Brackenwing hoped. Her paws shifted, dark-striped tail curling over them as her gaze locked on the silvery she-cat next to her. "Sure, what's up?"

Silverwing shuffled her paws as she contemplated how to start. "I-I just wanted to say, um..." Silverwing couldn't possibly apologize with Brackenwing staring her down like that. It made her feel way too nervous. Being outwardly optimistic, and generally amazing was one thing, but speaking about her feelings... Something about that felt wrong, almost like she was breaking a preconceived image of herself. Just take things slow, that might help. Start with something small. "I just wanted to say that Nightstar talks funny." It was true, but not where she wanted to go with the conversation. Start with something else, not that! "I don't think Smallbean likes me. I tried doing what I usually do, and he didn't say anything bad about me or anything, but it just felt like he didn't like me. Does that make any sense?" Silverwing knew she wasn't explaining it quite right, but it was as much as she could say without mentioning how awkward and weird she had been around him.

Brackenwing rolled her eyes at the comment about Nightstar. "Who cares? He's not one of our clanmates to be concerned with." And she'd found herself embarrassed by her own clanmates in front of him twice, now. It stung, Brackenwing had to admit. Silverwing hadn't caused quite the level of trouble Rosepaw had, but it had been close enough. She was headstrong, in a different way. But there were better uses of that headstrong nature than trying to talk to every cat she met, in Brackenwing's humble opinion.

"Smallbean?" Her former mentor had always kept to himself, as far as Brackenwing knew. Smallbean simply wasn't a social cat, much like she herself wasn't. She doubted very much that he outright disliked any of his own clanmates however... Brackenwing could make a few guesses about why he might've... Not been what Silverwing expected. "Sooo... You dragged him into being social, or said something, then? Smallbean's probably less social than I am, and you're... the opposite." She mewed, not sure which Smallbean would've found worse. At least she wasn't the only one, she thought wryly. "Your gift for picking out the most introverted, awkward, most reserved of your clanmates to pester is stars-cursed, you know that?" She added, whiskers twitching.

"No, I didn't drag him... What? I don't do that, maybe I said something? I don't know what I could have said though, I wasn't mean to him... At least I hope I wasn't, I don't remember being mean, I was just trying to get a conversation going. I talked to him like I talk to you, I didn't say anything weird..." Well, maybe that wasn't entirely true, she had bragged to him about being a masterful hunter, maybe her display had embarrassed him? Though, she never would have guessed that Smallbean was antisocial, he had been the one to approach her in the first place. "You think you're introverted and awkward? I think you're wrong." This was her chance! If Silverwing stopped now, she doubted she would get the courage to do this again. "You're not awkward, you're amazing. The way you told off Nightstar at the border was really cool, and I know you don't like socializing at gatherings because of what happened, but you do anyway. Now, that is. And you're always so friendly and kind to me, it feels really nice knowing that there's someone other than Blazefang in Windclan that I can rely on. I know I don't always treat you the way I should." Her voice began to fall as her words caught up with her. She was really saying these things, wasn't she? Silverwing had to turn away from Brackenwing, too embarrassed to continue with the cat staring at her. "I'm sorry for that. You... Mean a lot to me. I respect you, and all that." Her fur seemed to blaze from the embarrassment, why did he have to be in this situation? Say something funny, something to shut you up and stop you from being weird! In a small voice, she finished. "You're the reason I'm able to fly." Mouse-brain!

"Hmm," Brackenwing's ear flicked as Silverwing spoke. "Well, I can't speak for him and don't know what went on. You could ask him why he feels that way, I suppose. Wouldn't be the first time someone said or did something without realizing it." Hadn't Silverwing told Brackenwing off for just that once, at a gathering?

Brackenwing blinked at her next words, perplexed. Amazing? Hardly. "What else was I supposed to do, let him discipline my own clanmate in front of me?" Again. "Wasn't his place to, anyways. But I do owe you one for that." With a hint of a smirk on her lips, she lifted a forepaw, lightly tapping the other she-cat's shoulder. Hardly a slap, really.

As Silverwing continued to speak, Brackenwing ducked her head, feeling her pelt warm under the other she-cat's words. Singing her praises had not been what she expected of anyone, much less Silverwing. And she was... apologizing. And... respected? Her? How strange, those two things were. Strange and wholly not something Brackenwing had ever been used to. She'd always been the shy one, the quiet one, the overlooked one. Never did anyone comment on her being half-clan, but Brackenwing couldn't help but feel the silent judgement when it was so apparent in the lines of her broad shoulders, her sleek coat and the way she hunted. She kept her head down and did what she was told, but seldom did she go out of her way to engage with others unless prompted... Something Silverwing was certainly determined to do. She... was a good cat.

"I- Um- You don't-" Wasn't awkward? Brackenwing was sure she was proving that wrong now with her stammering. Once she got over her own surprise and processed what the silvery warrior was saying, the marbled tabby took a moment, trying to form something cohesive out of her own thoughts.  With a huff and a shake of her head, green eyes lifted towards Silverwing again, "It's alright, Silverwing. I do appreciate the apology." She added, "Thank you."

Again, likening the two of them to birds. The comment cut through the tangled mess of Brackenwing's own thoughts and she cracked a smile, feeling her own tension fade. "What was it you said about birds having two wings?" She asked, tail flicking to briefly touch Silverwing's shoulder. "I think you had a point."

Brackenwing's pause gave the young warrior all the information she needed. Brackenwing couldn't respond to the string of weirdness that had fallen out of Silverwing's mouth. The older warrior couldn't even find the words to excuse herself from this awkward situation. Aaah! You blew it Silverwing, Brackenwing's probably gonna avoid you after this! Even with the negative thought invading her mind, she knew that wouldn't be the case. Brackenwing was way too kind to just avoid her. Maybe she would decline going on any patrols that involved Silverwing, that seemed more plausible. It wasn't until Brackenwing spoke up that the silver she-cat realized that might not be the case. "You're... thanking me?" Silverwing turned back towards Brackenwing, a look of surprise stuck on her face. "But I just- You were- I-" Think before you speak! Think! Silverwing took a quick moment to arrange the words in her head before attempting to spit them out once more. "But I was being super... Weird, not myself, and... Weird. That doesn't bother you? Like, at all?" Brackenwing might have been entirely too kind to overlook something like this. Silverwing could feel the tears welling in her eyes. Well, more accurately, she could see them. They blurred her vision as Brackenwing started talking about Silverwing's nonsense. Silverwing remembered exactly what she had said that day. "Together, we make a single bird." As she spoke the words, Silverwing found herself absolutely beaming up at the marbled warrior. "And you can't get rid of me, because I'm your left wing!" Silverwing managed to push a bit of cheerfulness back into her voice, though it shook almost too much to recognize. "You're gonna make me cry, Brackenwing. You're evil."

Well, at least she wasn't the only one stumbling over her words. Indeed, Silverwing seemed just as taken aback and flustered by Brackenwing's response as Brackenwing had been to Silverwing's earlier words, and there was a slight comfort in the knowledge. Eventually the silvery she-cat found her voice, and Brackenwing considered her words. She made things awkward, in her own way, that was true. 'Weird', if that was what she wanted to call it. "And the rest of us aren't?" Brackenwing tipped her head, watching her clanmate. "Maybe a little, at first." She admitted, "But I don't think you ever meant any harm by it, so no. Not really bothered." She added.

"You seem to enjoy scaring the fur off of me, but I'm the evil one?" Silverwing managed to pull a laugh from her, ears briefly flattening in mock displeasure. "Look in a puddle of water recently?"