RiverClan Elders' Den

[iliri]

Weepingwind
short-furred, black ghost tabby with dark green eyes
purrks: n/a
she/her | riverclan warrior | 30 moons

---

At least both of her clan-mates were willing to get this done and over with. It had already turned late enough as it was, and Weepingwind was certain that most of the camp had settled down for the night. The moon had risen high above the treetops, casting long, silver beams across the ground as the quiet murmur of the river nearby filled the cool night air. Stars dotted the sky like pinpricks of light, faint and distant, while the rest of the world seemed to fall into a soft, peaceful slumber. She padded alongside Blackfrost and Nectardrip in silence, the only sound between the trio was the soft crunch of paws on earth. Weepingwind found herself glancing around, soaking in the serenity of the new camp that RiverClan was led to. This was their home now, their fresh start, and something about that filled her with a quiet sense of purpose that she couldn’t quite grasp entirely. She had been the one to offer up her help for cleaning out the elder's den, after all. It was a small task but one that felt significant given the circumstances that had occurred as of late. This den hadn't seen use yet, not a single elder had stepped paw in it—or so she thought that was the case—and that made this moment feel more meaningful. It was a chance to shape something for the clan, to contribute in a tangible way. There wasn’t the same wear and tear or familiar mustiness that she had grown fond of during their stay at the abandoned twoleg nest. Here, everything was fresh and untouched.

As she approached the den, her bundle of moss dangling gingerly from her jaws, Weepingwind couldn’t help but feel a flicker of satisfaction. They were making this place their own. She dropped her moss at the entrance and took a moment to survey the space inside, sticking her head through the lichen that hung over the mouth of the den. The den was spacious, the walls woven from thick brambles and reeds, their shadows dancing against the floor in the pale moonlight. The scent of damp earth and newly disturbed soil lingered in the air. it almost felt odd, being far too clean to her liking. Weepingwind stepped further in, her paw-steps careful as she took in the untouched ground. “I know it should be expected to see the den so barren, but I don’t know why it feels so… lonely.” She muttered, her voice low, as if she were speaking more to herself than to both of her clan-mates. The words lingered in the air for a moment, the silence that followed making them feel weightier than she anticipated. She padded over to where the elders' nests would go and began spreading the moss in neat circles. Each movement was thoughtful, her paws pressing the moss down firmly to make sure it stayed in place, smoothing out the edges as she went. The repetitive action helped calm her, giving her something to focus on as she worked. It was easy to get lost in the task, her mind wandering as the soft scent of the fresh moss filled her nose.

She’d done this countless times before, yet something about doing it here, in this new place, felt different, in a way. "Maybe it’s the quiet," she murmured softly, as her paws continued to press down the moss. "It’s strange... no elders snoring, no stories or complaints about sore joints and ticks. Just... quiet." She flicked her striped tail and glanced around, feeling that odd sense of loneliness again. But it wasn’t necessarily a bad feeling, just something unfamiliar. Maybe, in time, the den would lose that strange, empty feeling once the elders moved in, once life filled it up with sound and presence. Weepingwind stepped back after finishing one of the nests and surveyed her work. It wasn’t perfect, but it was comfortable, and that’s what mattered. There was something satisfying about seeing it all come together, the moss looking both soft and welcoming. A small, crooked smile tugged at the corner of her lips, revealing her crooked canids. "Not bad.” She commented, her gaze shifting to the rest of the den. It still needed a bit more work, but it was starting to feel less like an empty, forgotten space and more like a part of the camp, like a place that would soon hold stories and memories. She gathered up the rest of the moss and continued placing it down, the quiet stillness of the night pressing in around her. In the back of her mind, she thought about the elders—whoever would be the first to settle in here—and hoped they’d feel at home.

That was what this was all about, really: creating something that felt like home, even if it was new and unfamiliar for now. She glanced back over towards her shoulders as she continued working on placing down a sheet of moss, beckoning the duo of felines into the den with a flick of a tail. “C’mon! We got a den to finish up. It shouldn’t take us too long with a few extra paws. The elders aren’t gonna want to sleep out in the broad open now, will they?” She was highly aware that they may have taken shelter in the warriors’ den for the night, or any den, honestly, but she didn’t want the both of her clan-mates to lose sight of the charismatic charm that weaved off her. The elder’s den was nearly finished anyway; it wasn’t that spacious.

@silver. @lark. [ this is late but widnehdj ]