Mourning Ruins

[gs29513]

Making his way into the creepy, burnt out twoleg structure, Shrewpaw looked around quickly. There were a lot of cobwebs, the spiders seemed to have completely infested the place, but that didn't bother him since he'd messed around with them before. Sticky but otherwise completely harmless. Looking around for any plants, which he guessed would be in sheltered areas if they were still alive this late in the year, he spotted a bit of green poking up above a flat piece of wood. Scrambling over it, he gazed down at the plant, unsure if it was the right one. At least it was a plant! @Xmas Bliss

[Rani]

Adderfang had come out here to hunt when she set out. Before the whole disaster the Waterbarn was one of her favourite places to idly spend some time, it was quiet and out of the way and there were the occasional rats to cull to spend some time. But she'd... Forgotten, in a way what'd happened here since she last hunted in this place. In her defence the warrior wasnt even aware there was a fire until long later after the battle with how hectic the aftermath had been. So when she came across the charred husk of the structure she... Well she stopped, thoughts of hunting abandoned for a time.

Padding through the remains until she found an unburnt bit the warrior sat, eyes downcast as she recalled the last time she was here. "I- I cant say I understand or even like your decision but I hope you're happy and still remember who you are, wherever you've ended up....."
Talking to herself was something Adderfang didn't normally do, and defiantly not something she'd do if she knew someone was here, even if it was Doetuft. But you couldnt deny the desolate alone feeling this place created, so she didn't even notice.

@Arie

[Arie]

-- @Rani --

Why had she followed Adderfang out here? Doetuft didn't really know. There was no real explanation as to why the tabby female had decided to take some steps to make an effort to go out here. But nevertheless, she had. And it seemed it was a good thing as she picked up on the meek voice from Adderfang? Could that quiet voice really belong to her friend? It seemed surreal to an aspect that this was actually coming from Adderfang and not someone who'd just kind of... taken over her body?

Slowly making her way through and inside the burnt down structure, the feel of ash and soot underneath her paws making it uncomfortable and bring back memories.... especially the smell. The scent of soot of smoke was something she could never forget, and considering she was originally from a clan that had a tendency to burn down... she was always careful around it.

Nevertheless, clearing a path she made her way over to where she'd been able to locate Adderfang and then sat down by her friend. Not saying anything she just draped her tail over Adderfang's shoulder and proceeded to stare into the abyss that was her sight. "I remember... this ash... from before. I'm originally... from the clan... of thunder. Not sure... if you knew that... but.... I am used... to this ash.. and destruction from... the times it ravaged the forests... there."

[Rani]

Paw steps. Wait it was a gait she recognised, the slow steps of Doetuft, slightly off sounding from the rest of the clan with her blindness. So while she'd normally leave, unwilling to share a space with another when in so morose a mood, this time Adderfang stayed put willing to share with her friend. So her ear only flicked as Doetuft settled in beside her, continuing to stare off into the distance.

"I didn't know that and I cant say I can understand fire like you can. My family is pure Shadowclan for as long as Im aware of and though maybe my father Barkbrush may know of a time when shadowclan caught ablaze I certainly dont. It must be horrible." The barn alone burning down sounded terrifying enough but an entire forrest you couldnt even run from wasnt something Adderfang even wanted to consider. "All my life, all my parents lives have been in loyalty to my clan and I cannot even comprehend otherwise. I suppose thats strange, to base yourself so solely off of ones loyalty to your clan but... Whats it like?"
@Arie

[Arie]

-- @Rani --

It was oddly peaceful, but then again so was most interactions with Adderfang. Not a whole lot usually happened or everything happened at once and it seemed that today would be a day where not a whole lot was going to happen and Doetuft felt perfectly at ease with it. "It has... its clear... disadvantages... obviously... though the worst... for me is always... the sound of it." But nevertheless, she had survived and that was what had gotten her here in the first place. The sound and smell still disturbed her but reaching out and kicking to some soot and ash she listened to it trail away. Everything got easier with time it seemed...

"For me... loyalty is earned... not given... per what clan you are born of. My loyalty.... here in Shadowclan... is based on familial bonds... and not respect and loyalty... to Dawnstar. If my family... starts to wave... it is likely my own loyalty.. will do the same. Being... loyal just... because its were you where... born.... to me seems like... a worse type of blindness... than the one I care myself. You close... yourself off to the world... by just only believing in fe... things. However... I might be speaking... from ignorance... so do how you feel.. just being loyal to Shadowclan and never... anything else?" It was an intriguing aspect, but Doetuft knew that if it wasn't for her family, she could've likely left the clan based on its unstable turmoil.

[Rani]

Adderfang didnt think it was ignorance in the slightest, it seemed more like reasonability even if it made the molly worry slightly if fate could ever bring Doetufts attachments and so her on the other side of a conflict. "How I feel... Well for a time blindness was a good word for it. I cant say I know how it is to be truely blind so Im sorry if this is insulting but... In the beginning of loyalty like that you dont think more about or miss not having to because you dont know anything more, its just a fact of life. Then the world changes and you learn. Loyalty like that isnt what you think it is, its not loyalty to a one clan or cat, it's to a collective of ideals and things that makes up the clan (and often times not every piece of it). To the land, to the cats, to the things we represent and an understanding that the whole has to make up for the places it falls short (and parts will fall terribly short) because otherwise you wont find a single thing in the world worth being truely loyal to. If Im kind Ill say it feels like a higher calling, but Im not kind so if Im truthful Ill say its a laborious duty. But even with how much it burdens its....." She inhales trying to find the words she wanted and not finding anything just sort of waves a paw around before sighing and settling for "It's everything. It's a core I know can withstand anything. I suppose thats strange."

It didnt feel strange though, not to Adderfang, it just was. The sun would rise and set and the stars would shine and shadowclan as a whole would be worth fighting for even when some parts werent. And yet... Why was this such an oddity of beliefs? Even if some cats had a different way of loyalty certainly they had to have one, otherwise how, why would they persist even in the face of hardships that could destroy a cat? And how could they turn their back on those loyalties without it doing just that? All questions Adderfang had no chance of answering or understanding alone, not with how she thought.

"Doetuft? Could you help me puzzle something out? Ive had something on my mind for awhile thats been making me uncertain and Im making no progress alone. Before you answer some of the knowledge is... Dangerous and could get us both in some trouble if anyone else knew, and it is a long story besides."
@Arie

[Arie]

-- @Rani --

All this loyalty was a big mess in a truth and Doetuft couldn't resist bringing up a paw and rubbing her head as she let out a sigh of exhaustion. It was tiring and complex and her brain apparently was unable to keep up with her and keep up with what was going on right at that moment. It took time, and time was the least she wanted to spend on thinking about where her loyalties lay. Because to Doetuft it was a simple matter, her loyalties did not lie with a clan but it lay with individuals. If more cats in Shadowclan had her loyalty, she was loyal to Shadowclan as a whole. But the way Adderfang proceeded to talk about it hurt her head or at least, that was how it felt like it did.

But now Adderfang needed support and drawing up her tail to rest it on her friend's shoulder, the blind molly nodded. "Whatever it is... I can handle it... and for the sake of our.. lives... I shall do my best... to never say... a thing about it. Although... i'm not sure... I'm going to particularly... like this but I think... we shall see shall... we not?" The notion of dangerous knowledge did unnerve her but if her friend needed to tell her something, she was going to be there to support her through it as much as she could.

[gs29513]

Scenting the air as she padded towards the eerily blackened twoleg den, Doeflame was able to smell at least a mouse and a squirrel scurrying within. Hopefully more, but two pieces of prey would be a good start. Foxpaw knew how to hunt, or so she presumed considering her time as a loner, so she dropped into her own crouch, sliding towards the mouse's perch on a charred board. Making it close, her paws soundless on the soft needles and ash, Doeflame leapt upwards, claws closing around the body at the same instant as her jaws clamped down, killing the prey almost instantly. Dropping down after another moment, she moved a bit into the forest, leaving Foxpaw to round up the hunting in the structure. @Snow Fox

[Estelle]

[ @bmkmb ]

Well this was... A coincidence. Out of all cats in the clan, it was Talonstone who she was send on a patrol with? The molly couldn't say she was opposed to it- she always enjoyed his presence, despite there often being rather awkward silences- but this time, Nightshiver couldn't help but feel a bit worried. And for an arguably silly reason at that - she knew, but who could blame her. Undeniably her mind was preoccupied with other thoughts, like the place they were heading, but she made a mental note to focus on the patrol instead. The warrior switched to watching her surroundings more for the catmint, not relying entirely on the senses of smell to find the herbs as the exact scent was mostly unknown to her. Although, perhaps not the other "ha-have yo-ou ga-thered ca-cat..mint before?" It would likely make finding them a lot easier, though even if he hadn't, a tall purple plant with a pretty scent couldn't be hard to miss. Especially during leaf-bare when everything seemed to take on more grey-ish and white tones, purple would stand out against it.

[nocturnal]

// @Estelle

The warrior paused upon hearing the other member of his patrol; the ghost of a smirk danced upon his maw before disappearing just as quickly. It had been a while since he last spoke with the molly, and he truly did enjoy spending time with her. He fought to prevent his fur from bristling, however, as the medicine cat continued to describe their target. He did not need someone to describe herbs to him, especially not Ebonyfang of all felines.

As they neared the remnants of a once more plentiful area, Talonstone glanced at Nightshiver and flicked his tail. "I have," he said, recalling the outing with Irisflame from moons ago. "What our experienced medicine cat failed to clarify is the scent of the herb. You will smell catmint before you see it. It is intoxicating, not 'pretty.' A feline cannot scent 'pretty.'"

Why send warriors rather than working oneself, Talonstone would likely never understand. Ebonyfang trained as a warrior before receiving the rank of medicine cat. He was not incapable of defending himself.

Turning his mind away from such topics, the warrior turned to Nightshiver. "We have not spoken since we reclaimed our land," the frosty tomcat pointed out, hoping to prevent any awkward silences this interaction. "How have you enjoyed our new rank?"