Closed The Colony distant dawnlight // the sillies

[Lovebug!]

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It was a crisp, calm night, not particularly freezing, and the warmth from inside Lovebug's nest felt as if it was coaxing her to sleep—but how could she? The excitement of her first catch still reverberated within her bones, and all she could think about was what her second catch would be like. And her third, and fourth, and fifth, and how could she possibly sleep if the thrill of the hunt still sat so high on her tongue? Lovebug rolled over, probably for the fiftieth time that night, restless and jittery. All she wanted to do was get back out there and pounce on something—something that was even better than that toad she had expertly snuck up on (she blissfully ignored the lack of awareness it seemingly had to begin with).

Rolling over again, Lovebug immediately perked up when she came face-to-face with Rowan, her best friend, snoring softly in her own nest. Solo hunting trips were something she realized she couldn't do, but maybe with a partner...? Rowan was usually very set on following rules, but even she wouldn't mind a quick night hunt, right? And I haven't hunted with her before yet! I can show her all the awesome techniques I've learned!

Mind immediately made up, Lovebug slowly and quietly got to her feet, careful not to wake anyone else around her. She tiptoed over to Rowan, eyes glinting with excitement, and reached out a paw to poke her. "Rowan," she whispered semi-loudly, immediately glancing around to make sure no one else heard. As the snoring around her continued uninterrupted, Lovebug once again poked her friend. "Rowan?"

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@teddy​

 

[rowanpaw]

Rowan stirs, feeling a paw poking her side– she'd just been dreaming a rather pleasant dream, in which she was lying on a sun warmed rock. The reality she wakes up to is much colder and dryer. "Is it morning already?" She yawns, stretching her paws out in front of her. Her eyes blink open and she looks around to find the den still very dark. Her eyes widen, "but it's nighttime!" she whispers, staring at Lovebug anxiously. "Won't we get in trouble?"

 

[Lovebug!]

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"Trouble?" Lovebug's eyes momentarily widened in cartoonish bewilderment—through the electric feeling of her excitement, she had completely forgotten about even the possibility of getting in trouble. But of course Rowan would think about that—she's super smart!

Shaking her head, Lovebug leaned a little closer to Rowan, her smile turning playfully devious. "No one's awake to catch us! We could totally go out and do some night hunting." She shifted her paws to try and temporarily abate her excess energy, the delight in her movements obvious. But at the sight of her best friend's anxiety failing to fade away, Lovebug hurriedly added in an attempt to reassure her, "Everyone will appreciate some extra food too, right? And we'll be really quick!"

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​

 

[rowanpaw]

Rowan shifts from one paw to the other nervously, considering her friend's words. Lovebug is right in that the other cats would appreciate extra food, but generally, no one would leave the colony at night. It could be dangerous in the forest at night, but it could also lead to prey, couldn't it? She shifts again, then quietly meows, "what about foxes? And badgers? They hunt at night too! But I suppose... Everyone would appreciate the fresh kill, and... we'll be careful, right?"

 

[Lovebug!]

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Sensing that she was nearly done with reeling Rowan into agreeing, Lovebug gave her a bright, blindingly appreciative smile, nodding at her words eagerly. "We'll be super careful—and if we run into anything dangerous, we'll get out of there right away!" She admittedly hadn't thought about foxes or badgers either, but it should be fine—she had her best friend with her, after all! And if it came down to it, maybe she could show Rowan her new fighting skills, too! (Even if the only thing she had "fought" so far was her own tail...)

Barely even waiting for Rowan's response, Lovebug nearly sprang towards the den's exit, the exact definition of "bright-eyed and bushy-tailed". She excitedly beckoned her friend over, barely resisting the urge to start purring too loudly; the idea that Rowan was coming with her just made the whole thing feel even more exciting—how could she possibly be quiet?

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[rowanpaw]

Rowan finally caves to her friends bright eyed wonder, crawling out of her mossy bed and hurrying after Love out of the camp. If anything, she reasons, she could say that she only went to make sure Love didn't hurt herself. And she would finally get a chance to try out hunting from the tree tops. Excitement now building inside her, she takes off into the forest, laughing as she passes Love on the way.

She stops in front of a particularly gnarled looking tree, and Love comes bounding up to her, their shoulders brushing.

"Serpent told me that some cats hunt from way up in the treetops," Rowan says, flexing her paws against the frozen ground. "That I could probably catch something really good if I tried!" She turns to look at Love, voice now an excited whisper. "She even said she believed in me, and that she thinks I could do it," she looks back up at the tree. It's so tall that the top of it blends into the night sky, stars blinking between the naked branches like glittering leaves. "I just have to climb it."

 

[Lovebug!]

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At the sight of Rowan's excitement, Lovebug felt her giddiness amplify full force, giggling along with her as she chased after her into the forest. The night air around them was full of a variety of sounds—the chirping of crickets, the distant hoots of an owl, and the rustling in the foliage of some unknown animal. She eagerly drank in all of the scents, her claws itching to sink into something—but nothing dared directly cross the path of two excited apprentices, to Lovebug's slight disappointment. But Rowan actually came with me—we'll definitely catch something as long as we're together!

Seeing that Rowan had stopped in front of a tree, Lovebug bounded over to her side; her eyes were round with wonder as she listened to her best friend tell her about treetop hunting, glancing up at the dark, overarching branches visible under the moonlight. "Of course you can do it!" Lovebug turned to face her, eyes sparkling. "And you totally have to show me!" She gave Rowan a soft, encouraging nudge with her nose, her smile bright.

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​

 

[rowanpaw]

Rowan grins at her friend, then looks up at the tree again. She starts to circle it, looking for a notch like Serpent had told her to– she spots one on the far side, deep enough for her whole paw to rest in it. She leans back on her haunches and then leaps into the air, sinking her claws into the cold bark. It works surprisingly well, and spurred on by her friend's words of encouragement and the idea of impressing Serpent, she continues up, up, up– finally she reaches a thick looking branch which she perches on for a moment, catching her breath.

She makes the mistake of looking down, almost slipping off the branch in her shock– she's already awfully high up. But maybe it just looks worse than it is because it's so dark? She can still see her friends round face staring up at her, eyes glinting in the light of the moon. She would be fine, right? Serpent had said she could do it, after all. And Lovebug believed in her too. And she would get to help out the colony with prey. Her mind made up, she turns her face back to the tree, looking for the next place to put her paws. She spots a gnarled looking knot in the bark about a fox length up, and from there she could jump to the next branch, and then into the tree next to it.

Decided, she sinks back on her haunches again, and then jumps, claws extended, but something isn't right– her paws reach the knot, but when she sinks her claws in, instead of anchoring her to the tree, she tears out the bark which was hiding rotten wood behind it, and then– she's falling.

The stars spin above her, twinkling coldly. As she falls she hits the branch she'd been perched on just a few moments ago, and a sharp pain tears through her ear, making her cry out, calling out for her big brother. But he can't hear her.

Then, with a dull thud, she hits the ground.

She does not get back up.