Territory In Your Corner ♦️Peony and Comet

[HoneyflowerHoneyflower's icon]

Slow Down, Just Breathe

Thank the stars that Windclan's territory is mostly flat, she hardly needed to use her nose to track down the two apprentices. Cometpaw's retreating form also acted as a beacon with how starkly his coat stood out against the plains.

Quietly the molly stops at the dip in the ground, gaze softening as Honeyflower looked to the two. "Peonypaw, Cometpaw, I'm glad you two are alright, it's not safe to go out without a warrior..." Slowly she descends the incline to sit next to her apprentice. There's a pause as she briefly looks up at the sky, searching for the right words. "...Will you talk to me about it? I want to help, if I can... I just wish I'd known you were hurting sooner."

It's been nearly six moons since the barn burned down, throwing all their lives upside down and into disarray in the process. It made her heart ache to think that Peonypaw had carried the thought that he alone was responsible for it. No wonder he constantly acted out.

"You don't have to if you don't want to of course, but I think it might help."

xxx

All We Have Is All We Need

Tags

Honeyflower

✿—Gale Guard Of WindClan
✿—She/Her
✿—"SPEECH", 'THOUGHTS', ATTACK
✿—Dilute Calico Shecat With Green Eyes And A Floppy Ear
#a4e1ba

 

[PEONYPAW]

trigger warning Description of a past panic attack.

Peonypaw runs aimlessly. The territory around him blurs, courtesy of the tears building and the speed at which he traverses the land with. Somehow, there is still an inkling of logic hiding at the back of his mind—he knows this is dangerous, that he could very well be running into the gaping jaws of a predator, but he doesn't have it in him to care.

He can only care about the fear that threatens to tear him apart.

There had been no plan, even though he knows that keeping the events of that night a secret would not have worked forever. But how do you reveal such a heinous act? No amount of groveling or apologizing could possibly fix all that he has wronged... certainly not for the cats who had lost loved ones, or a limb, or the ability to properly breathe. No, confessing had not been an option, and so he had been prepared to carry the burden until his dying moments. It's selfish. But the alternative is not much better.

Peonypaw doesn't know when he had begun fearing the possibility of exile. Now that the truth is out there, all he can think of are the consequences. All this time, he had truly believed that he did not care for WindClan- only for the safety and stability it provided Petalpaw. Apparently, he had allowed meaning to bleed into it.

How stupid. Has he not learned?

He can only think of his own chest as a collapsed tunnel, with the way he now desperately gasps for air. Peonypaw finds a dip amongst the hills, a patch where the grass grows a little taller, and uses it as cover—a flimsy one, but it will have to work. His sobs come out as hiccups now, and his legs tremble with exhaustion.

There is no way out. He could keep running, but... where to?

His heart skips a beat when he hears paws thrumming closer and closer. No... Peonypaw wails and covers his face with his paws, as if that could make him disappear from view. True, he had not cared to conceal his trail, but he had not anticipated cats to follow him so fast. Perhaps Dustystar has finally had enough, and ordered him to be retrieved—all so he can face proper punishment.

Honeyflower talks to Cometpaw about the rules of not leaving camp alone, as if this was a completely normal day. Sure, the skies are blue, and the sun is shining, but Peonypaw thinks his entire world is crumbling.

"Why?"

he finally says, voice breaking. He moves his paws just enough to be able to glare at Honeyflower. Odd, how she isn't berating him yet...

"It doesn't matter if I talk about it or not. It happened. And I can't undo it."