Moving Forward [Creamsky]

Snow was melting, leaving the rocky landscape wet and distinctly uncomfortable to Wolfblossom. The sun was shining and it was warmer than it had been the past few days, though it was clear leafbare had not quite loosened her grip on the forest just yet. With most of Skyclan's clanmates returned to them, and with injured cats in camp, it was important that Skyclan hunt and patrol their borders. Hunting was what Wolfblossom had set out to do today, taking Creamsky with her.

"How are you, Creamsky?" The warrior had fought bravely and shown initiative after the foxes attacked camp, and she was proud of him for that. It felt like not that long ago she'd been introducing herself to a shy kit in fourtrees while Blackbear was busy. Now, Blackbear was... gone, while the apprentice she had searched for returned. It worried Wolfblossom, and she had been able to tell that Creamsky had his own feelings. They were his to bring up however, not hers.

He couldn't deny he was relieved for the distraction - something to focus on...It was what had caused him to gain his warrior name so much earlier than a few of his Clanmates. It was an easier way to deal with his feelings, ignoring them - thought he had come to learn it wasn't...Healthy. So as he padded beside Wolfblossom, his ear twitched as she questioned how he was feeling. ...How was he feeling? There was an excitement in getting to protect his Clan truly for the first time, thought he wished he had done better to protect his Clanmates who were injured in the fighting but it was what was it. Relief that so many of his Clanmates were home - and with any luck, their Twoleg problem was over - perhaps the giant situation in Fourtrees would be enough for them to consider poking their noses into the territories...

But not all of his Clanmates were home - and that was what bothered the warrior the most. It had been a heartbreaking moon following Blackbear leaving the Clan to track down her apprentice. She had meant everything to the warrior - she had been his rock when he was so timid. To find his place within the Clan without her tail to hide beneath had been tough, so he had thrown himself at his duties as a distraction. He did not regret that - he could finally stand on his own two paws but still he missed her.

And now the apprentice she had left to locate was back - and there was no telling where Blackbear was.

There was a long silence as Creamsky thought about his answer to the deputy's question, before a soft sigh escaped him. "...I don't know. Relieved that our Clanmates are back, hopeful that our troubles of cats going missing is at an end. Ready to do what its needed until everybody is back on their paws," he meowed - choosing to be earnest with his feelings. "But...I also don't know what to do with myself if our troubles are gone. I know it wasn't normal, but Clanmates going missing was..." he winced, shaking his head. "Normal to me. The unexpected danger in our territory - the fact that our guards can in theory be down even a slight more is strange."

There was another long pause before he sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Suppose I am just ready to follow you and Birdstar, find a new normal if our troubles are finally over... And keep an eye out on the horizon," he added quietly, ears slicking back a little. "Hopeful that... I hope Blackbear finds her way back to us."

"It feels strange, doesn't it? To not have to constantly be on such high alert all the time." Wolfblossom agreed quietly, "It'll be good to relax, even a little. It'll take some getting used to again, and that's normal after this long being on edge. Especially for those who are young enough not to remember much else." She added. The chaos during her youth had been nothing at all like the existential threats that twolegs posed. "Usually the threats we face are less sinister than twolegs and traps. Normal things, like predators and tensions with the other clans or sickness. The forest rarely stays truly peaceful for long, but it's rare that we see something so catastrophic as this, too. Nobody I know can ever recall something like what has happened recently before. I hope this is the end of things for now."

"I'm worried about Blackbear too." Wolfblossom admitted, "I wish they'd all returned safe. She may be looking for Crookedpaw and not even realize he's here with us again." And they had no way of knowing where the she-cat might be. Or if Blackbear herself was safe. With all the twolegs... It was anyone's guess. "I don't believe she would abandon that task willingly."

Creamsky listened quietly as Wolfblossom spoke, a soft sigh escaping him. She had a point - the forest rarely would remain peaceful, would it? With all the other Clans, there was only a matter of time before tensions rose between them...And even if his Clan was not part of the rising feud, the shockwave of two Clans fighting would likely effect them all - mostly when it came to allied Clans. But...A moment to breathe was still good, but his face darkened as Wolfblossom spoke up on Blackbear. It was the final sentence that caused him to come to a stop, twirling to look at Wolfblossom with wide eyes, pinned back ears and a quivering frown.

"That is what terrifies me the most!" he admits, lowering his head as he shook it sadly. "That she won't abandon the task - that even if she is okay, she just...Will never return but she...She is Blackbear. Stubborn... And it won't ever cross her mind to return without Crookedpaw. And that if she could return to us fine right now... She will drive herself to..." His shoulders sagged, tail dropping to the ground.

"...I feel terrible for Crookedpaw," he admits softly. "Sire, what a relief it must have been for him to know that his mentor cared enough to go after him...But now he is safe and she isn't and... What if he feels like its all his fault? I-I felt like it was my fault for so long and it ate away at me. I don't..." He raised his head, sparing a sad glance towards the way they came - back towards the camp. "I don't want Crookedpaw beating himself up for it when it isn't his fault."

Creamsky whipped around to face her, looking deeply dismayed by her words. Wolfblossom couldn't blame him at all for feeling that way, and the worry for her clanmate had settled across her shoulders, heavier than before most of the missing had returned safely. "I understand. It is worrying." A sigh escaped her, "All we can do is wait, and hope." The thought of going to twolegplace and asking Beechfang to keep an eye out crossed her mind, but Skyclan could not rely on her for that. It would be unfair, and she'd saw the way Beechfang had glanced at her kits before leaving once more.

Creamsky's admission that he'd thought it was his fault Blackbear had left made Wolfblossom's heart twist. "It was never either of your faults. I hope you both know that." She added softly, padding forward to rest her tail on Creamsky's shoulder. "We all make our own choices in life. She made the choices she did because she cared, not because of either of you." Wolfblossom continued, "If Crookedpaw needs it, he has good cats around him to make him see it, I think."

A pause, and she continued, ducking her head slightly. "I thought similarly about my mother when she had to leave the clan, even though her exile was due to mistakes she had made before I was born. At first I didn't understand how she was so willing to accept exile as a punishment rather than fight to stay with her family. Wasn't leaving abandoning us?" She shook her head. She'd worked hard to bury that feeling, and Beechfang had explained it to her, much as she had to her siblings. "It took time to realize why she didn't fight it, even though on the surface I understood that exile is different than death or potential for war. Quite different circumstances... But I understand. And it is harder to accept when one is young enough to barely be out of the nursery."

As Wolfblossom pressed it wasn't his fault, his tail curled as his ears pressed down on his head. "I know it was her choice, but when she first left I...I had to assume that I had some part in it because..." Creamsky drifted off, shrugging. "I dunno. Easier to blame myself than...Be angry at her, I guess. Then I just...Tried not to think about her at all for so long and now..." he shook his head with a sigh. "I still don't know how I feel - I want her back so much, but if I see her again...Would I be happy? Angry? I just...Won't know til I see her again, one way or another. But I don't blame myself - not anymore."

There was a long pause.

"...She gave me the option to join her, actually," he murmured, glancing up at Wolfblossom. "I couldn't accept the fact that she was leaving so I just...Figured it was a test. Clearly I was suppose to prove my loyality to SkyClan by choosing to stay. ...Then she was gone, and I realized my mistake," he breathed, but there was a thoughtful glint in his eyes. "But I think...Even if I did know, I couldn't have left with her. As much as I needed her as a rock - my place was in SkyClan. I don't regret it, not anymore. I am stronger for having stayed. I'm not the apprentice she left behind, and I am better for it."

He raised his head, fully meeting Wolfblossom's gaze. "For as much as it hurts not having that tail of safety to duck under...We are both stronger for it, don't you think? Doesn't change the pain, or regrets or...The what-ifs, but..." he paused, before smiling softly. "I like who I am now. And I like you for you. We would both be different if our mothers had stayed but... I don't think I would take that reality if it meant changing who I am now." There was a pause as he glanced around, a nervous laugh escaping him. "...We are doing a poor job at patrolling, aren't we?"

"Sometimes our desire to do what's right and our own insecurities cloud our judgement. Make us read more into a situation than we should. Blackbear loves you, you know. I don't know if you remember how protective she could be when you were a kit." She laughed softly, "I think she would have wanted you to stay, as much as she wanted to look after you herself. And if you had gone with her, none of us would have been upset by it." She mewed.

"There's a lot of 'what if's that we could dwell on." She agreed, "They won't change what has already happened, but it's something to think on. I do think that you're better off for the choice you made, though. As for our mothers... What's done is done. They were doing what they thought was the best decision at the time."

"Oh!" She blinked at Creamsky, ducking her head in embarrassment. "I suppose we should get something done other than talk." She offered the younger warrior a half smile.

A soft laugh escaped Creamsky as Wolfblossom gently questioned if he recalled how protective Blackbear had been of him. He had a few memories of when all of the Clans were in Fourtrees - of her showing distant for anybody who dared approach the two of them, with extra venom if they dared talk to him. It was all faded with memories, he couldn't recall the words spoken but the loose details remained with him... She loved him, it was a simple truth that he couldn't deny even now. He just...

He just really missed her.

As the deputy mentioned doing something other than talking, he paused with a gentle smile. "We could...Hunt, I suppose. Hunting and talking seems like a fine thing to refer as a successful patrol," he meowed with an bemused smirk. "And at least with prey, it looks like we were more proactive so...I dare say it would be a win-win. Shall we?"

"Hunting is a good idea, yes. If we sit around talking we might not get much else done, I'm afraid, not that I don't enjoy the conversation." Wolfblossom agreed, whiskers twitching in amusement. With that, the deputy glanced up, sharp eyes scanning the trees for prey. It wasn't long before she found a bird among the branches, and she flicked her tail to indicate she was going after it to Creamsky. Wolfblossom carefully made her way towards the tree it was perched in and began to climb, careful paws with practiced ease. The bird never saw the deputy until her claws hooked into its' feathers, and a swift nip was enough to silence the bird before it had a chance to sound an alarm.

Creamsky laughed softly at that, a gentle smile on his muzzle. As the deputy located her own target and headed off, the warrior decided to take the lower path himself. He turned to pad a little further into the undergrowth, mouth open to taste the air. It didn't take long to spot a bird of his own - resting on one of the rocks that littered the territory. He dropped into a crouch, stalking forward and around - trying to determine the best approach.

His eyes flickered to a nearby tree truck, a huff escaping him. It was going to be quite the move to pull off but it was his only chance as the easiest way to approach the rock was in the bird's line of sight. He took a few steps closer to the tree, dropping into a crouch and launched himself at it. At his paws struck the bark, he twisted and kicked off - sailing straight for the bird. The poor thing didn't seen him coming as he tackled it - his aiming perfect as his teeth sank around its throat as he sailed over the rock itself.

He landed without a sound on the forest floor, dropping the bird for a heartbeat to cleanly finish it off, a snort of satisfaction escaping him before he picked it up and padded towards where he had left Wolfblossom.

Creamsky is attempting to catch a bird, costing 5 stamina and succeeded*!

*Success rate is 1-5 due to his sweet bouncing off the tree.

The member 'Honey Badger' has done the following action : Dice roll

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'Hunting Dice' : 2

It wasn't long before Creamsky had caught his own prey, and Wolfblossom grinned at the path he'd taken to get to the bird. It would have been a difficult catch but he had managed it nicely. "Well caught." She purred, "That one was tricky."

Creamsky's ears perked as Wolfblossom spoke, a sheepish purr rising out of him - he hadn't been expecting her to have seen his hunting attempt but it only made his success feel all the better. "Thank you!" he meowed as he reached her, finally dropping the bird at his paws. "I knew it wasn't the easiest way to go about it but...It was my best shot not to alert it." He glanced at the deputy's catch, giving her an approving nod. "I see you caught your own bird, nice! Think its worth trying to catch more, or have we done enough to excuse our long talk?" he questioned playfully with a soft laugh.

"Yes, there was no good way at trying, and there are many who might not have taken the risk of doing so. You caught it, though." She purred. "I think prey makes up for our talking, don't you?" Wolfblossom asked, amused. "Long as we don't go back to camp with empty paws, I consider it a win. But another catch or two wouldn't hurt." She added, bright eyes turning toward the trees again.