[P] wet yarrow

[Luna16]

This was happening. Yar's heart was pounding. She couldn't believe how easy it was to sneak out of camp...but that wasn't why her heart was pounding like this. She padded up to the watering hole that Bramblepaw described, right where he told her she'd find it. Poor soul, he had no idea she'd actually come out looking for it. She knew that her denmate had swimming lessons from Mistlewhisker, so she asked him where they'd been done. But Yars didn't wanna get the deputy involved in her embarrassing family drama...so she came out here to find it herself. How hard could this be? Bramblepaw said he picked it up pretty quickly and she was way more talented and smarter than him. So she should get it pretty easily too.

The dilute calico carefully made her way towards the water, hesitating for only a moment before her paws touched the surface of the water. With a growl, Yarrowpaw stomped into the shallow end. She hated the feeling of what on her fur. Originally, she had no interest in learning how to swim. But after that...little chat with her father...she was determined. Determined to prove him wrong, that she wasn't going to drown. That she was capable. She didn't need to be babied. And if Owlthroat wanted to disown her for trying to make herself stronger...well...that's... Yarrowpaw had to bite back the lump in her throat that threatened to choke her. Whatever. Once she got used to the water-logged feeling in her coat, she took some more tentative steps into the pond.

Now...how did Bramblepaw say he did this? If she remembered correctly, he used Mistlewhisker to balance while he practiced moving his legs, so he wasn't just floating off on his own. There was no other cat here, and with Yarrow's size it didn't take long for her to be up to her chest in the water. She flicked her tail-tip thoughtfully. There had to be a way to do this, she wasn't so foolish as to simply charge out into the middle of the lake. She wasn't actually trying to drown here. She soon spotted a log that was half in the water, and excitedly bounded over. Digging her foreclaws into the wood, she let her back legs lift off the muddy ground and kick.

Remembering how Bramblepaw described the motions, she kept trying the maneuver until she felt like she had it. But now what? She couldn't practice with her forepaws like this. Letting go of the log, Yarrowpaw shifted her weight onto her hindlegs and tried paddling with her forepaws. Huh...this was easy! Confidence restored, stuffing that twinge of doubt and hesitation deep into the pits of her stomach, Yarrowpaw began to carefully pad out to where the pond was deep enough that her paws lifted from the bottom. She flailed a little until she got the hang of moving all four of her legs at the same time. It was a strenuous feeling, she wasn't used to it after all. But after a moment, it seemed to work! She was floating!

Success! Smirking, she started trying to move, instinctively using her tail to help steer her direction as she tried to swim in a circle. Staying close enough to where she could mostly touch bottom in case she failed and had to scramble out. Now what old crow! She was doing it! No matter what her father said, she was doing it! Heck, she could even probably get Mistlewhisker to officially approve her ability to swim now, and then what? Owlthroat wouldn't be able to say anything to her about it! She couldn't wait to show him the good news...that she could swim. If ever she needed to, she wouldn't be defenseless in the water.

{ @Daragca - Owlthroat }

this thread is part of approved under their nose plot

[Daragca]

​​​​
Owlthroat
he/him | Shadowclan Enforcer | 50 moons
Killer Aptitude T3 - Just A Scratch - Silver Tongue T2
The Dancing Bird

TW: Emetephobia

A sinking feeling twisted into Owlthroat’s gut as he woke, something wasn’t right. He didn’t know what but the feeling prickled its way down his spine, carving his fur to stand straight on edge. Then he was bolt upright, Tuftedtusk had already left the nest earlier in the day. Was it him? Was he hurt? Pangs ran through his chest. The Enforcer barged his way through the clearing, yellow eyes flickering as he went. Then to the apprentice’s den.

Slitted eyes roamed over heaps of fur, no. The sinking feeling twisted deeper, his nose crinkled attempting to inhale something of her stench, but it was stale. It was all stale. Yarrowpaw was gone. The Enforcer’s stomach finally bubbled over. He wrenched his body away from the den, curling behind it in a rush to eject the contents of last night's meal. He’d done this, he’d driven her away. A large paw rose to wipe the bile from the corners of his blackened lips. Had she simply ran away, become sick of her fathers and chosen to voluntarily leave Shadowclan. It couldn’t be.

Owlthroat couldn’t get his thoughts straight, his mind was twisting nastily this way and that. He charged forward, not following his nose. Not following anything. Just the overwhelming urge to find Yarrowpaw, find her and bring her home. His hefty paws thudded, carrying him out of camp in a blip. The usually slow and lumbering beast he was, spurred forward with adrenaline and crazed vision. Once he reached territory he took a few heaving breaths, attempting to collect himself. Draw together his thoughts. His black nose sunk down low into the mossy ground underpaw. The tom heaved in deep breaths and finally caught what could only be described as the faintest whiff of his daughter. He had it, he had her within reach. He ambled forward blindly, careful not to loose the scent. He cursed his own skills once or twice as he lost it then picked it back up.

It was driving him insane, burning a deep deep wound into his heart. He didn’t want to think about the possibilities, he just couldn’t. The shrubbery began to break up bit by bit and the sun got lighter as it cast its rays deep into the forest. The large tom took a second to look up, disorientated. He couldn’t recollect where he was for a second, but he knew he was still within territory confines.

No.

Not here. He pushed his way through the final inches of shrubbery and his jaw hung agape. A sweet watering hole, adorned with berries and bushes. Logs and frogs, it didn’t make a difference. It stung all the same, this was exactly where they used to swim. Not where she drowned, but where they’d sneak off too on lazy mornings. Bathing in the crisp waters. And paddling along, as if she’d never been gone, Olivepaw. A smirk on her face.

No, his daughter.

His shock subsided as the mirage vanished. A cracked garbled howl rising from his throat in distress, pupils nothing more than pinpricks as he raced to the water’s edge. Fear etching and carving as it ebbed around Yarrowpaw, swelling and falling with her leg strokes.

"GETOUTGETOUTGETOUARGHHHHHHHHHHT”

A voice which took the cool and collected tom for a monster.

A true, monster.

[ @Luna16 ]
[ Sorry this took so long <3 ]

[Luna16]

A sudden, terrible sound rattled the stillness around her. Yars let out a yelp at the bellowing sound, she didn't recognize it right away. In her surprise, Yarrowpaw whirled around quickly, looking for the source of this terrifying sound. But she barely caught a glimpse of the black-and-white form of her father before one of her paws lost its footing. She slipped against the slippery bed of the pond. Panicked, she flailed her forearms to try and regain the control and direction she had mere heartbeats before, but she struggled.

When she slipped, she floated a little farther away from the shoreline, so she could no longer touch the bottom of the pond with her accursedly short legs. No! Nononononono!The dilute calico wailed, struggling to keep her head above water as her thick coat became heavier with the weight of the water. Her lungs burned, water entering her open mouth and nose. Was she really going to drown like this? In such a stupid way?! Oh hell no. She'd have words for StarClan if that happened! She refused to die like this! But try as she might, even now that regained some sense of level-headedness her limbs were too tired to try and move her weight...

{ @Daragca - Owlthroat }

this thread is part of approved under their nose plot

[Daragca]

​​​​
Owlthroat
he/him | Shadowclan Enforcer | 50 moons
Killer Aptitude T3 - Just A Scratch - Silver Tongue T2
The Dancing Bird

Owlthroat’s fear turned into Starclan forsaken panic. He watched in abject horror as she slipped, into the pond, away from the shoreline. Deeper and deeper. Her wail tore deep into his gut, water flooding into her maw and nose. Owlthroat in the few split seconds he waited felt frozen, bound by his legs with heavy rocks. He didn’t want to go near it. He didn’t want to go in. It was Willowpaw all over again but worse. He’d dragged her out with a stick. Yarrowpaw was too far. The bonds, he would have to break around his legs would have to be broken rather quickly.

He thrust himself forward, launching into the water with a splash. Striding long and confident, cutting through the muck. It felt like a writhing living being around him, his swimming was no problem. He’d navigate it, but to Owlthroat it truly felt alive. This was what he had feared all along, the water held some sickly sentiment and wanted to claim her too. Like the fool he was, he’d thought she’d listen, thought she’d obey.

He leaned down, thrusting his head under the water, attempting to grab her scruff and pull her up for air. He was no Riverclanner, her thrashing felt heavy, unnatural. He could do nothing but grab and pray. Pray for the beast to release his daughter, return her to him. He’d give anything, his own life included.

[ @Luna16 ]

[Luna16]

Teeth, somehow familiar, grabbed her scruff. Tugging her upwards. Her father. Papa Owl! In that moment, her anger from their last interaction was, ironically, washed away. His pull was enough, she felt herself break the surface, forcing her legs to work. Her muscles burned, she coughed out water, and she knew she wouldn't be able to keep herself afloat for long. Using what was left of her strength, she climbed onto Owlthroat's back, almost flopping herself across him with a huff, the force of which caused her cough up another mouthful of water. Stars, how much water did she inhale?

{ @Daragca - Owlthroat - how bad d'you wanna traumatize them? }

this thread is part of approved under their nose plot