It's easier to enjoy Starlitpath's company when they're not surrounded by others. She still has the suffocating need to prove herself... but when it's just them, it becomes less of a rivalry, and more simply wanting to show off for her courtship. The point prince has held firm to his reassurance that much of their life hasn't changed, and she is grateful - but she is just as grateful for these fleeting seconds.
The molly presses her cheek into his, muttering a perhaps still too curt, "You sure you're not cold?" The snow has begun to fall already, leafbare coming quick and leaving a blanket atop their ground. And even with her own plush coat having grown thicker in recent days, Starlitpath's pelt is as short as ever. She'd wager that Hawkstar's long line of ancestors were forever better suited for the gorge, where the sun beat down with no reprieve. But even then, snow chilled the air, so maybe they were rarely the lucky sort, too.
Before she can fully comprehend her companion's answer, the wind itself shifts, revealing a stomach-churning scent with it. And not too far from them is evidence of exactly that. Swarmswirl turns her gaze to look over her shoulder, where the hill crests just slightly, and between the thinning trees she can see: a fox, already blazingly orange against the pale snowscape, but dyed red from its latest hunt. If she were any bit self preserving, Swarmswirl would've nudged her fellow warrior to retreat and warn the Clan. But among the floating scents, she finds... cats. And she thinks of her sister, broken, battered, barely alive.
I can save them. She pulls wordlessly from Starlitpath's side, paws gaining speed as she mindlessly races towards the fox. I can save them.
She launches at the beast before it notices her. Her claws hitch into the darker fur on its leg, and she lunges her teeth to sink into the flesh of its ankle. The fox yelps in surprise but twists with ease, latching its fowl smelling maw into her scruff and ripping her away. Her body is flung into a nearby tree and the wind is knocked from her. Swarmswirl wheezes out a cry of pain, but is quick to stagger back to her paws. She hacks and coughs, but keeps her gaze on the fox, eyebrows knit together.
[ context: this thread is dated to december 1st, we have started writing it a little early simply bc i'm a slow poster rn and this personal event has a deadline.
the fox has 20 hp. swarmswirl has 20 hp.
swarmswirl rolled a 4 against the fox. it now has 16 hp.
the fox rolled a 9 against swarmswirl. she now has 11 hp. ]
The molly presses her cheek into his, muttering a perhaps still too curt, "You sure you're not cold?" The snow has begun to fall already, leafbare coming quick and leaving a blanket atop their ground. And even with her own plush coat having grown thicker in recent days, Starlitpath's pelt is as short as ever. She'd wager that Hawkstar's long line of ancestors were forever better suited for the gorge, where the sun beat down with no reprieve. But even then, snow chilled the air, so maybe they were rarely the lucky sort, too.
Before she can fully comprehend her companion's answer, the wind itself shifts, revealing a stomach-churning scent with it. And not too far from them is evidence of exactly that. Swarmswirl turns her gaze to look over her shoulder, where the hill crests just slightly, and between the thinning trees she can see: a fox, already blazingly orange against the pale snowscape, but dyed red from its latest hunt. If she were any bit self preserving, Swarmswirl would've nudged her fellow warrior to retreat and warn the Clan. But among the floating scents, she finds... cats. And she thinks of her sister, broken, battered, barely alive.
I can save them. She pulls wordlessly from Starlitpath's side, paws gaining speed as she mindlessly races towards the fox. I can save them.
She launches at the beast before it notices her. Her claws hitch into the darker fur on its leg, and she lunges her teeth to sink into the flesh of its ankle. The fox yelps in surprise but twists with ease, latching its fowl smelling maw into her scruff and ripping her away. Her body is flung into a nearby tree and the wind is knocked from her. Swarmswirl wheezes out a cry of pain, but is quick to stagger back to her paws. She hacks and coughs, but keeps her gaze on the fox, eyebrows knit together.
[ context: this thread is dated to december 1st, we have started writing it a little early simply bc i'm a slow poster rn and this personal event has a deadline.
the fox has 20 hp. swarmswirl has 20 hp.
swarmswirl rolled a 4 against the fox. it now has 16 hp.
the fox rolled a 9 against swarmswirl. she now has 11 hp. ]
