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."

 

[Comettail]

Well I'm still here...
They can't tell me who to be... Cuz I'm not what they see—

‎

COMET(TAIL), He/Him / 11 moons / Windclan Apprentice
Short fur black self tom with low white and fluffy tail + ginger somatic mutation in tail, bright yellow eyes
Son of ASTRO and NEBULA, Sibling to TWINKLE(TUFT), & ECLIPSE(SHADE)
Doesn't typically sit still, he's as quick on his paws as he is with his wits, a more fun-loving sort though no stranger to a healthy prank here and there!
Tagging [@]

‎

Onward, Cometpaw would run, with his eyes peeled for threats and ears open for sounds of chaos as he did his best to keep a lock on Peonypaw. Much like his other moments in purposeful movement, it was almost as if Cometpaw was in a trance, running with the wind. If he wasn't so focused on the safety of another he may have thought to notice just how far he himself had come from the little guy he used to be.

At some point, Peonypaw dipped from view, which caused Cometpaw to hasten, zipping only just a few paces past where Peonypaw had curled up. Looking around hurriedly, Cometpaw traced the horizon in every direction. He couldn't have just suddenly lost track of them! Holding an anxious breath, Cometpaw turned to see Peonypaw was just a few steps away. In an instant, Cometpaw calmed, snapped back to reality. It would take a short while for his thoughts to catch up to him, but seeing Peonypaw was unharmed put him at ease.

"Peonypaw, uh... Hey." Cometpaw gently mewed. "I'm not here to hurt you, okay?" Good grief, how embarrassingly stale in terms of comfort. Man, Cometpaw felt a little embarrassed. He wasn't exactly bad at comforting people. Couldn't he say more? What else was there? Maybe that was enough for now? At least enough to not scare Peonypaw into running more.

Cometpaw only just noticed that he too was followed, and perked his head up, ready to act in defense of Peonypaw only to breathe a sigh of relief at who had appeared. It was Honeyflower, his own mentor.

It took him a second, but it fully registered now. Honeyflower, his mentor had tracked them down. Another point of embarrassment, Cometpaw felt like he was about to get an earful. "Uhh..." However, no such thing occurred. At least now, Peonypaw was safer given Honeyflower's presence.

Maybe it was better to leave this to Honeyflower. So, Cometpaw sat silently for a moment as his thoughts eventually started to catch up to him.

This wasn't right, it wasn't fair. Not to Peonypaw, not to those that were lost in the blaze and not to those that still lived.

Cometpaw was shocked to hear what Peonypaw thought. What did he mean, why? To say it didn't matter made no sense. Nobody should have to suffer like this. "Yeah, it happened. Yeah, you can't undo it but I don't think you did it on purpose and..." Cometpaw took a breath and sat resolute. "You wouldn't be feeling the way you do if it didn't matter."

‎

Yeah the world is still sleepin' when I keep on dreamin' for me,
And their words are just whispers and lies that I'll never believe!