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Post by owl on Jun 5, 2024 13:33:49 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/1ZLVP2c/cougar~jpg | cougarcloud where i go, will you still follow?
will you leave your shaded hollow?
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She didn't intend to tell anyone the truth, but of course the tom didn't know that. But he knew things about her too, so she'd rather stay on his good side. She'd been neglecting speaking to him for far too long. Mainly because whenever she saw him, all she could focus on was the blood on his paws. The blood on her paws. The amber molly shook herself, shooing the images from her head. It was a wonderful spring day, mild and warm, and she was going to talk to Shadowgaze before she lost her nerve and went back home.
She had nothing to be afraid of, so why did her pelt prickle so?
It had been hard to spot him in the shadows of the trees. They were his namesake, after all. It'd been his scent that gave him away—she'd made sure to stay downwind and follow his trail closely. Even if it was seldom that she practiced hunting these days, she wasn't going to forget the tricks. He'd been tracking a foraging squirrel which allowed her to get closer so long as she stayed quiet. She realized she didn't really have a plan on how to confront him—she didn't want to make him lose his catch, of course. The clan needs their meals, after all.
After the prey was dispatched, the molly crept closer. She was more focused on the tom than where she was putting her feet... which was her mistake. A misstep, and leaves crackled under her foot. Something that'd surely be heard by her clanmate in the quiet forest. She cursed herself silently, teeth gritting into a momentary snarl. There was a reason why she didn't join hunting patrols anymore. Well, no matter. He'd learn of me soon enough. Might as well be now.
"You know, you really shouldn't be out here alone." Cougarcloud broke through the bushes into his line of sight before he could spot her amongst them. Last years thorns snagged at her pelt but did not stop her. She had forgotten how small the black tom was—now that he was standing before her, it was hard not to notice. His short coat didn't hide the bones exposed by a harsh winter. He was certainly small enough for a large eagle to pick up and fly away with. "It's been a while since we last spoke, Shadowgaze," she dipped her head in greeting, her eyes never leaving his.
"How's your friend faring after this year's leafbare?" she asked, blinking slowly at him. Her tone was even, innocently inquisitive. "What was his name again...? Grey, correct?" |
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Post by tor on Jun 12, 2024 10:11:25 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/TW2rDQP/shadowgaze~jpg Exhaustion washed over Shadowgaze as the squirrel died by his paws. Not enough to consider taking a bite of the prey, but enough that he turned back toward camp, nearly cutting his hunt short until he remember this solo patrol was for more than just hunting. He needed an excuse to creep closer to the border where he once met Grey — not to see him, no, they hadn't done that in moons, as he asked for. But just to ensure that his former mate wasn't creeping close to RidgeClan anymore, especially now that the weather improved. Weariness settled over his thin bones like a familiar friend at this point. He gathered up just enough energy to bury the squirrel, unwilling to drag it with him as he hunted toward the border. So tired, he almost didn't catch the crackling of leaves under paw. It was only the stillness of the forest around him that brought the sound to him. Determined that whoever approached was a clanmate, Shadowgaze turned to greet them slowly. He refused to seem panicked or alarmed. Nothing more than slightly surprised. But when Cougarcloud's form came into view, and her voice reached his upright ears, he couldn't help the way his anxious heart started to race. "You know, you really shouldn't be out here alone." She was right. Though he stayed in the parts of the territory with the thickest canopy, the further from camp he got without a guardian, the more likely prey he would make for some raptor. This leaf-bare had weakened him more than any previously. Shadowgaze hadn't felt so small since the early days of being an apprentice. "It's been a while since we last spoke, Shadowgaze.""Indeed." He intended that. He thought they had an unspoken agreement. What encouraged her to break it now? "How's your friend faring after this year's leaf-bare?" His... friend? Oh, how he wished he could be naive to her meaning. Grey's face flashed in his mind's eye just a moment later. "What was his name again...? Grey, correct?"Shadowgaze lowered his head just slightly in shame. "I'm unsure." What was the shame for? Shame that he didn't know how the cat he loved was faring, or shame that he even loved him to begin with? Maybe shame for ever being caught. "We no longer see each other." A whole season had gone by since they parted. He would let Cougarcloud believe it had been longer. "What brings you out here, Cougarcloud? I doubt it's gossip you seek." |
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Post by owl on Jul 5, 2024 9:24:42 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/1ZLVP2c/cougar~jpg | cougarcloud where i go, will you still follow?
will you leave your shaded hollow?
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She'd had mixed feelings on his relationship with an outsider, but really, it was nothing but a boon for her. If he ever threatened her, she would have something more believable to hold over his head. It was why she'd first approached him all those moons ago. She wouldn't even have minded if he'd left the clan to be with his friend. They seemed close enough, and then he would be out of her fur. But alas, she shouldn't have doubted him so. He was a loyal warrior, as was she. They had to be, to make such a sacrifice for the best of the clan. To carry the weight of their guilt without sharing it.
The molly almost let out a little laugh at his remark, but reined it in enough that it just came out as a sharp exhale. He underestimates my propensity for gossip. I'll never miss the chance to hear a rumor, no matter how outlandish. I'll sift the lies from the truth myself. How else would I know what I know? "I simply wanted to catch up," she said. "A lot has happened these past moons, I wanted to make sure you've been doing alright." Not a lie, at least not fully. She wanted to assess his feelings on the kingdom, the current state of Ridgeclan. His feelings on what they'd done now that it had been a full turn of the seasons since.
"So long as you don't mind chatting, I'm happy to leave if you're too busy," Cougarcloud meowed, her tone very much indicating that she would mind. She walked all the way out here—she wasn't doing to be dismissed back home that easily. She had to see how much she could push him around still, albeit she was being more heavy-handed than she would with most cats. He knew more about her nature than anyone else in the clan. He knew what she was capable of. She just had to remind him of it.
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Post by tor on Aug 5, 2024 10:06:05 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/TW2rDQP/shadowgaze~jpg "That's unfortunate." Was it, really? Shadowgaze searched Cougarcloud's face openly. It mattered little to him if Cougarcloud knew he was seeking out her true feelings. Locked in the game they were both forced to play, there was no room for subtlety between them. He wished for the confidence to speak openly, to even form a partnership between them, a proper alliance. But until Cougarcloud's motives were clear to him, it wasn't a step he was willing to risk. Blood was on his paws, after all. Not hers. "We all have so few cats we're able to consider friends these days.""I have many friends in RidgeClan," he said, smiling his way through the discomfort he felt at how distant all those friends were recently. "I no longer needed the company of some outsider." Adrenaline rushed through his body at the thought that some one else might be nearby to overhear his words. "But thank you for your care. I've been doing fine."It wasn't... quite a lie. His heart hurt every time his let his thoughts drift from his warrior duties, but Shadowgaze was no stranger to throwing himself into his work. "So long as you don't mind chatting, I'm happy to leave if you're too busy.""No, no, I don't mind at all. I was just hunting." And I won't risk upsetting you by turning you down. "I left a squirrel further back. I intended to loop around to grab it, after hunting toward the border." It was strategic — not only did it get him to the border he once saw Grey at, but it also kept him under the thicker parts of RidgeClan's canopy. "I wouldn't mind the company." Plus, whatever questions Cougarcloud asked might help him determine her motives. "You're right. The last few moons have been busy. Have you been well?" |
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