stir the clouds around (c)

Flutterpetal did not know the cat who had returned. However, Whisperear seemed to be fond of her, and that was good enough for him. Perhaps they could be friends if they got to know each other. So, when Smallbean assigned him to a hunting patrol with Rosepaw, he found himself smiling. After everything that had happened recently... it would be nice to just go on a calm patrol and perhaps make a new friend. It was odd to him that an apprentice was older than he was, of course. Especially since he and Adderdawn were now two of the more senior warriors in the Clan after Brackenwing and Whisperear's retirements. However, given that she had been gone for so long, it made sense. He wondered if Shrikestar was going to make her do all of her training again.

Either way, he was waiting for her by the entrance to camp, enjoying the light misting of rain that fell from the clouds. It wasn't raining very hard, thankfully, so the patrol wouldn't be too miserable. The gentle drops were almost refreshing. Would Rosepaw like the rain?

It had been almost unbearably hot before the clouds came. It was as if the sky had needed the intense pressure of the heat to gather them. Now the clouds were here, though, the rain fell surprisingly gently. The soft mist of rain fluffed out Rosepaw's thin wispy fur and the coolness gave her more energy.

It would be a good day for running the moors. Which was fortunate, because Smallbean had assigned Rosepaw to a hunting patrol with a warrior, her first time! There he was, a soft fluffy black tom waiting at the hidden entrance in the gorse wall.

She skipped over, barely containing her excitement. She was clumsy, her skips lopsided from her past injuries falling into the gorge, and just as she thought she might greet him somewhat dignified, she tripped and almost fell face-first. She couldn't help a laugh, her one golden eye twinkling. Somehow the first words out of her mouth were, "The rain's refreshing, isn't it?" 

She straightened up. "Oh, right, I'm Rosepaw! You can just call me Rose if you like." Since, she wasn't really sure what she was in WindClan. She still carried a mix of kittypet and Garden scent.

Rosepaw hoped the warrior would give his name, too, since she didn't know it. He was one of the most experienced warriors in WindClan, yet he was a little younger than her ~ too young to know her. Though, she had picked flowers with him before the gathering not long ago. She hoped they could be friends!
hunting stats ~
25 / 25 HP
20 / 20 SP

Flutterpetal turned as he heard his patrol companion moving up, mouth opening in greeting--then, she tripped nearly flat on her face. Perhaps her gait had been too eager for the slight slipperiness that the rain brought to the ground. Either way, the slight nervousness he had begun to feel dissipated immediately, dissolving like so much mist up from the sun-warmed ground. He found himself laughing along with her. His tiny white fangs showed in a wide grin. "Yes! It's very nice today. And... it's nice to meet you, Rosepaw. Rose." He'd already known her name, but it felt nice coming out of his mouth. He liked flowers a lot, and he wondered whether she did, too. The name fit her. She carried herself like a rose--gentle, but layered, with depth he couldn't quite make out behind her eyes. She was older than him, after all. Despite still technically being an apprentice. What had it been like, to be gone from home for so long?...

Well, he shouldn't be staring. That wasn't polite of him. "Oh, my apologies. I'm Flutterpetal. But if you want, I guess you could just call me Flutter, too! My brother does." His bright green eyes sparkled as he thought of Adderdawn. "Should we head out? I don't think it's raining hard enough for the rabbits to be hiding, but if nothing else, it's a perfect day to spend out on the territory. I'm sure it'll be beautiful." Rosepaw seemed nice. He felt somewhat more at ease now that she'd introduced herself, and now that she was smiling. His initial hope that they could be friends grew more optimistic.

Rosepaw couldn't stop a wide smile, since he laughed too with a sweet grin. "Nice to meet you, too!" Flutterpetal... "I love your name!" It was beautiful and unique, like a poem, and she thought it suited the bright, gentle tom. They both had flower names!

She quickly felt at ease with Flutterpetal. Even under the stare of his vibrant green eyes, which was interested without being judgemental. "You reminded me so much of Whisperear just then!" Her friend since kits often had an absent-minded stare.

Rosepaw wondered if the stare was because of her winky right eye with a scar across it and down the side of her face. It had been healed by the humans, so it was neatly closed, which perhaps looked even more unusual. Though, it didn't seem to be what was on the warrior's mind.

"Flutter. You look like your brother!" They were both smaller, darker-furred, soft fluffy toms, except the other was brown with yellow eyes. The love there was clear. Rosepaw was reminded of how she admired her older brother, Watertail, when she was small, even if her birth family hadn't taken time away from their duties to raise her. Now they were gone, stars that fell to earth. But, Rosepaw wasn't sad, she felt only pride for how they had bravely given their lives twice over for the clans. Besides, Batsong, Whisperear, and WindClan were luckily still here!

The moor was enveloped in gentle grey, even the wind was quieter today. It made the blooming moor of waking flowers all the more beautiful, its slopes stretching to the soft edges of the sky in all directions. "Let's go!" Rosepaw agreed. "Hopefully some rabbits came out in the beautiful day, too!" There were some, grazing on juicy grass which glowed bright like Flutterpetal's eyes, shining with fresh droplets of rain.

Rosepaw manoeuvred parallel to Flutterpetal in the long wet grass and shrubs, either side of a small group of rabbits. She caught his eye as they pinched the rabbits in a trap, moving quickly as they immediately started to scatter in all directions.

The ground was slippery from the rain, and Rosepaw had to try not to tumble again. Though, it was, surprisingly, not too difficult to overtake a rabbit. "Thank you, StarClan," she murmured politely. Her first catch! Golden eye shining with satisfaction, she picked up the rabbit and looked to Flutterpetal to see how he had fared.
Dice roll ~ (chance 1 to 6)
25 / 25 HP
17 / 20 SP (-3)

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 3

Flutterpetal felt his grin grow wider at Rosepaw's kind comments. She seemed to be full of the same sunshine he was, despite all she'd gone through in life. His paws were already moving alongside hers out into the territory as he responded. "I like your name too! Roses are some of my favorite flowers." His ears perked up slightly at the other name she mentioned. "Oh! You know Whisperear? They were my mentor! I like to think we are pretty good friends. They just recently retired--oh, but you probably knew that already. But if you think I'm like them at all, then that's flattering. They've been one of my role models for a long time." WindClan was as beautiful as always, but it seemed like a dreamscape in the haze of gentle rain. It was relaxing to be out here, and he felt himself being put at ease by Rosepaw's kind manner. He was in the place he loved. A light newleaf breeze ruffled his pelt, smelling of distant flowers and petrichor. It was nice to get lost in moments like this.

Then she said his name--shortened, as he'd offered it to her. Flutter. The sound of the more familiar term in a female voice brought back sudden and unwanted memories--Daisybreeze and Hazelpatch appeared momentarily in front of his vision. His friends. One ambitious, one made of sunshine, both dear to him. Both gone. Their forms danced before him for a brief second, seeming like translucent ghosts in the light rainfall. He blinked hard and shivered slightly, shaking water droplets from his pelt as well as the saddening thoughts from his mind. Now was not the time to get lost in memories of cats who were no longer with him. They were gone. In the here, and now, he could spend time with his Clanmates. He could make a new friend. It took a few heartbeats, but he made his way back to reality. "Do you know Adder? We do look a lot like each other. I think that's a good thing, though. But if you can't tell us apart, his fur is a bit more brown than mine, and he's got golden eyes." The smile that had momentarily lapsed on his face returned. Hopefully Rosepaw hadn't noticed. "He's great. We should all hang out sometime."

He stopped for a second as another scent on the breeze hit his nose. Rabbits, nearby. His companion must have had the same thought, because she caught his eye, beginning to move towards them with light and careful steps. He nodded, moving around on the other side to try and trap a few. They were so close! Usually rabbits would have noticed them by now. They probably would any second, so he had to get around quickly. Sure enough, nearly the very second he managed to get around to the other side of the group of small animals, they began to disperse, all dashing off with their signature speed in various directions. Hopefully Rosepaw could catch one on her own. Instinctually, Flutterpetal used his own dexterity to veer after the largest rabbit he saw, which was sprinting away down a hillside. His reaction time might have been just a moment slower, but it was coming up on a hill. If he was quick enough, then perhaps he could catch it just as it tried to shift directions.

Sure enough, his practice had kicked in, and his predictions were correct. Caught aback by the tall rise in front of it, the rabbit panicked and tried to run left, at which point Flutterpetal managed to overtake it and end its life with a quick bite to its throat. He'd been worried about the slickness of the ground from the rain, but luckily his claws had helped him keep his footing just well enough. He gazed skyward for a moment of contemplation. Lately, instead of murmuring outward thanks, he had taken to picking a cloud and believing that it was his friends in the stars watching over him. It might not have been conventional, but it made him feel less alone to think that they were who he was thanking for the prey in his jaws. That done, he took the rabbit back with him and buried it shallowly in the damp earth. Then, smiling, he turned to Rosepaw. Apparently she had gotten one too. "Good job, Rose!" he purred. "We work well together."

Flutterpetal caught a rabbit successfully! -3 SP

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

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'Hunting Dice' : 6

Rosepaw was the same age as Whisperear and Brackenwing... and yet she bore her apprentice name, while they were both recent denizens of the elder's den. It was jarring for Flutterpetal, though he knew it shouldn't be. She'd obviously been through a lot. The single golden eye still managed to shine with such happiness, despite whatever had been in her past. Just like how he tried to keep smiling no matter how many of his friends disappeared. They were a lot alike. He tried to shake off the reverie as she mentioned a plan to cheer up Whisperear--who had, in fact, seemed somewhat down ever since retiring. "That sounds wonderful! I'm sure that a few flowers would brighten camp up considerably," he said eagerly. "You'd have to make sure nocat steps on them, but I imagine that with a bit of work, it shouldn't be too hard to get a few to grow there. I'd love to help, if you ever need the assistance. Not like I have much else to do other than normal duties these days."

He smiled as she mentioned Adderdawn. "We aren't very alike in personality," he admitted sheepishly. "However, we get along very well. He might not be as instantly approachable as I am, but I'm sure he'd warm up to you once he got to know you a little bit. I think some more friends would do him good. Things have been... hard for us, recently. I think everyone in WindClan is relieved by a pair of extra paws helping out with hunting and everything." There was no point going into the long history of everything that had happened while Rosepaw was away. It wouldn't be constructive, and the long list of names lost to Twolegs or foxes or greencough seemed too heavy a weight to fling onto someone who had enough burdens of her own to deal with. No, the details were better left unsaid.

Her congratulations warmed Flutterpetal's pelt a little bit, and he found his fur puffing out a little bit in tentative pride. The tactics had worked successfully, and they'd both managed to get a rabbit. He should be fired up and ready to hunt some more. However, he found that the questions swirling around in his mind had become slightly too much. It probably wasn't polite to ask... but his curiosity got the better of him. "Um, Rosepaw? Is it okay if I ask a question?" One ear flicked nervously as the words left him. "Where have you been all these moons? I mean--I don't assume that you wanted to be gone that long! One of my friends was taken by the Twolegs a long time ago. I just, I was just curious. I probably shouldn't be asking. Sorry."

"I'm glad you think so!" Rosepaw replied. "When we go back, I'll show you the garden we planted so far!" There was a happy skip in her step. "Maybe we can bring a few more flowers back today to add?" she offered. Today might turn out to be not all about just hunting.

She purred in laughter. Flutterpetal, instantly approachable? Modest. But true, she purred. "I hope I can get to know Adderdawn as well, then!" Friends were so important. Rosepaw was glad Flutterpetal had one in his brother. She sighed, "and help WindClan! I need to begin my training again to do that..."

His question surprised Rosepaw a little, but it was nice he cared, "It's alright!" she reassured him. "I'm sure you must be curious!" She thought for a moment, "You're right, I didn't want to leave WindClan, especially not for so long."

She began tentatively, "There was a full-moon night when darkness stained the moon red and swallowed the stars. It was seasons ago; I was a newly-named apprentice and I hadn't caught a rabbit yet or been taught to fight." She shivered scared at the thought of violence. She would never kill, except to eat, not even dangerous predators. "I don't remember well, but there were monsters. One chased me away and I fell into the gorge." She raised a paw to her face, her closed winky eye and the scar that ran down her face. "I woke up with hu- uh -twolegs. When I was healed and I could, I escaped." The head injury and broken bones had taken a long time to heal from. It had already been a long time, and, "I was moons' journey from home." It would have been hopeless if not for the friends Rosepaw met. "I found a place called the Garden, or it found me," she smiled. "The cats who live there are guided by the stars, too, to travel far. They brought me home." Rosepaw hoped the story wasn't too long, overwhelming, or boring. She glanced over at Flutterpetal as she talked and finally turned to him fully. They had settled into a nice rhythm as they walked side by side.