Private Territory a teachable moment in history [Marbleshine]

[WOLFPACK]

AND I AM SORRY MY CONSCIENCE CALLED IN SICK AGAIN​

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"Marbleshine!"

Wolfs voice carried over the casual chatter of the cats in camp, grateful to not have to compete with the wind and rain for once as he spotted her slipping from the warriors den. It was a surprisingly mild day-- though with the nights they'd been having lately he figured they were owed a few. Ever since that night in camp where unseen footsteps had sent the clan jumping to their feet, cats had been reporting odd things around the territory- especially at night. His promotion to Deputy had offered him some control of the situation, allowing him to set appoint guards and sentrys as he saw fit, but it did little to actually stop the odd happenings.

But there were good things to be brought to mind as well, and for the most part he considered himself to be in a good mood-- enough so to pay some mind to a cats needs outside of his own.

"Brought you this." he said after dropping the starling at her paws, tail giving a lazy flick behind him. "I promised you the next bird I caught, so enjoy."

He could have cheated her and kept it for himself, but he hadn't really wanted to. He liked Marbleshine, found her company pleasing even if he didn't fully understand her. And she'd done good work on his nest, making it far more comfortable than any disaster he would have made for himself to rest in. He might not believe in things like honor or karma, and 'respect' was barely a word in his vocabulary, but he found he didn't mind making the effort for her.

"We should go do some training when your done, though. It's a nice day for it."

He'd said he would teach her more, after all. And what better time than now? Tensions were rising between the clans, and Marbleshine had more to lose this time around.

So he'd prepare her, as best he could a cat of such a gentle demeanor. It could very well all be for nothing-- the best training int he world would mean nothing to a cat that froze when the moment came-- but like his favorite chewing bone, or his nest, or even the marsh itself, Marbleshine had come to exist with the realm of 'things Wolfpack had decided were his', and it'd probably piss him off a bit if he found her with her throat torn out after the next battle.

Who the hell was going to clean his wounds for him or make his nest if then? Mothbite?

@Marbleshine
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shadowclan deputy - male - a large, monochrome chimera with mismatched eyes and several scars​

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[Marbleshine]

MARBLE OF SHADOWCLAN

" Wolfpack, hi! " Marbleshine called out, lifting her head from her task, her face lighting up with a bright smile. " How did it go? Are you okay? " She padded over, her steps light, before glancing down at the bird he dropped at her paws. " O-oh, gosh. Thank you! That's so kind of you! " she meowed, her voice tinged with flustered surprise. " We could share it, if you want? I'd also love to use some of the feathers for my nest. Oh! Maybe give one to Jadethorn too, to congratulate her on her new name... " she mused aloud, her gaze briefly distant with thought.

Then, realizing she was rambling, she shook her head with a sheepish laugh. " Sorry, sorry, thinking to myself... " she added, turning her attention back to him with a warm smile. She liked Wolfpack. To most, he was all bite and sharp edges, but Marbleshine thought there was more to him than that. People didn't become hard or cold without reason. Life shaped them, often in ways beyond their control. Maybe the world had forced him to build walls, to wear his fangs like armor. But beneath it all, she believed there was still warmth, still kindness. And she would consider it an honor to remind him of that.

When he offered to help her train after she ate, her expression shifted for a moment, her thoughts wandering. She recalled the meeting she'd had with that Ghost cat, the words that were spat at her... And her chest tightened as she replayed the moment in her mind. She hadn't been prepared. Not really. And it could have ended so much worse. Her troubled look softened as she returned her gaze to him. " I would very much like that... " she said softly, her voice steady with determination. " Just in case, you know? If there's ever a need to protect someone or myself, I want to be ready. "

GO ON AND TRY TO TEAR ME DOWN ——･ﾟ✦​

･ﾟ✦ —— I WILL BE RISING FROM THE GROUND

 

[WOLFPACK]

AND I AM SORRY MY CONSCIENCE CALLED IN SICK AGAIN​

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She was always so happy to see him. Weirdo. Nobody else shared in the sentiment, but that didn't bother him the way it probably should. It was the norm for Wolfpack and others like him to be welcomed with wariness. It was something he'd learned to own, wielding it like a badge that read 'that's right, i'm dangerous'. Strong. The kind of cat who would always put himself first because that's what it was to truly survive.

Except, Marbleshine didn't look at him like that. Might as well have been illiterate when it came to that badge and what it warned others of. She was always quick to welcome him with a happy chirp, to come bounding over to him with concern for his well being or a smile of genuine happiness. A sheep, welcoming a wolf into her flock with such confidence that on occasion the tom wondered if he was not actually a sheep as well.

"I'm fine. he answered, the smirk in the corner of his lips resembling something like fondness as she rambled on and looked over the bird. "The new stretch of territory has everyone excited since they don't have to rely on lizards and frogs anymore. Sablestar's gonna have his work cut out for him when Thunderclan finally asks for it back."

That cat– the Deputy, Brightpetal- had stated the claim was temporary, only for a halfmoon or so, but Wolf knew there'd be a ripple of unhappiness that spread through Shadowclan when their cats were told they had to give it up. The chimera knew he'd be doing his best to convince their lovely leader to fight for the stretch, not just because of what it would mean to Thunderclan, but for their own cats as well.

After all, life was hardly worth living if you couldn't enjoy the things you wanted. And if their clanmates wanted fresh mammalian meat, why confine them to hunting scaley, slimy prey instead?

"Yeah, we can share." It wasn't a common practice for Wolf, but he had caught it and given it to Marble, so it made sense that he was welcome to a share of it. But what's so special about Jadethorn? We all have new names." he asked with a frown, the barest hint of something like envy in his voice.

As he began to help her carefully pluck the feathers from the bird, he hummed in agreement as she spoke of wanting to protect herself and others. Really, it should only be herself she was worrying about, but he supposed that in the same way he saw her as 'his', she likely had cats that she thought of as 'hers' that she would want to keep alive.

'Like Sealpaw. And Possumgrin.' his mind provided unhelpfully.

"Good. Sable claims he and Juniper are still mates, and that disrespecting her is disrespecting him, but it's just a matter of time before things get messy again. Her cats won't just forgive and forget what happened, and neither will ours. It's better to be prepared than caught off guard."

It was a cruel truth, but it was truth none the less. Even if those two cats were still head over heels in love, they could never be together again. Junipers clan would string her up if she tried bringing Sable or his followers around– if she tried pardoning them for the blood they had shed that night. And Sables cats were here in the swamp for a reason, toughing it out in the mud and eating lizards and fish because they would rather do that than live with a bunch of cats who'd nearly let themselves and everyone love starve to death over some misplaced sense of loyalty.

Some things just couldn't be fixed– but that was okay. Shadowclan would be better and stronger than the old colony ever was. And their cats would be happier for it.

"Speaking of being prepared, how's Seal coming along- she's a 'paw' now, right? Whose overseeing her training?"

It hadn't been his business to keep track of things before his promotion, but Sablestar apparently wanted him invested in this group and it's cats, which meant Marbles kits- adopted or otherwise- would eventually fall upon his radar once they were old enough to train. And that included Sealpaw.

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shadowclan deputy - male - a large, monochrome chimera with mismatched eyes and several scars​

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[Marbleshine]

MARBLE OF SHADOWCLAN

She could guess there were some cats who were happy about the new land, but she knew Jadethorn wasn't fully satisfied. The other cat was happy yet conflicted. Good. She deserved to be conflicted after what she did to Sealpaw. No, she wasn't quite over that. Not yet. She had punished kindness. That thought lingered, sour and sharp. Maybe she shouldn't give Jadethorn a feather at all. Or, perhaps, one with blood still on it. Or one ruffled the wrong way. No... maybe it would be better just to ignore her. Jadethorn still hadn't apologized to Sealpaw for the slap, and that wasn't something she could just forget.

" You know what? You're right. " she said, her voice firm as she lifted her chin with a huff. " There's nothing special about Jadethorn. Everyone else got new names too, so maybe they deserve something first. " She let out a sly little grin, thinking about the idea of not giving Jadethorn anything at all. Let her see how it felt. Her tail flicked side to side in annoyance before she quickly shook it off and focused on the bird she was working on. Wolfpack's words about Sable and Juniper hit her, though, and her ears flattened in confusion. They were on opposite sides, weren't they? That was what she had been told. So why were things so... complicated?

Her thoughts drifted for a moment, and she couldn't help but feel a little pang in her chest. That horrible name the ThunderClan cats had called her. Traitor.

But she wasn't a traitor. She wouldn't let their words define her. She was more than that. Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile, determined to lift her spirits. Wolfpack's mention of Sealpaw helped, though, bringing a brighter light to her face. " She's doing so well. " she said, her voice proud as her purr rumbled softly. " She caught her first prey a while back, and I couldn't be prouder. Smogmaw's overseeing her training now. " She squinted her eyes for a moment, thinking of the young apprentice, and it felt like a weight lifted from her shoulders.

GO ON AND TRY TO TEAR ME DOWN ——･ﾟ✦​

･ﾟ✦ —— I WILL BE RISING FROM THE GROUND

 

[WOLFPACK]

AND I AM SORRY MY CONSCIENCE CALLED IN SICK AGAIN​

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Better. After all; if Jadethorn was going to be gifted by Marbleshine, why shouldn't Wolf be gifted as well? He could tell she liked him well enough– spent more time with him than Jadethorn.

And yet the only feathers decorating his nest were the blood-red cardinal feathers he'd collected for himself.

One could argue the nest itself was a gift from Marbleshine considering it was made by her deft paws instead of his destructive ones, but Wolfpack considered that purely transactional– hence the bird sitting at her feet being plucked over idle conversation.

"That's good. If she keeps it up, Sablestar will be naming her 'Sealprowl' before you know it." he smirked, only half joking.

A cat deserved to have their strengths acknowledged after all, and he could see how important it was to Marbleshine that the kit she took in succeed as an apprentice. Perhaps complimenting Seal was more for her than the kid, but Wolf wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true– even if it had had been to make the blue shecat happy.

"Smogmaws a good choice. She'll learn a lot if she pays attention." more than she'd learn from Mothwing or Possumgrin.

Wolf was still a little annoyed that so many others had been made mentors ahead of him, but he was using the opportunity to familiarise himself with his new role as Deputy rather than complain about it. It wasn't like he didn't have shit to do without having some brat in tow.

Still, he couldn't deny he liked the idea of this formal training system, nor the fact that he was eager to pass on what he knew to someone else. It was a strange want to have for a cat who'd been so happy on his own, but he was still caught up in the idea of shaping Shadowclan and there was opportunity there.

"You been sleeping better?' he asked after a few moments of quiet had passed between the two, blue and gold eyes flashing toward her expectantly . He hadn't forgotten the restless nights she'd spent trading rest for worries.
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shadowclan deputy - male - a large, monochrome chimera with mismatched eyes and several scars​

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