RiverClan time to cool off 𓆟. ° .• — Wave

[Adderfang]

It didn't feel right to leave things the way he had. There was still a dull thud in his chest and a roaring of thunder in his mind that wouldn't be silenced. He regret having put even a sliver of his trust in Pike. Even if the silver tom believed every word of that stuff he was spewing, then he wasn't a liar, but out of his mind. If he wanted them to believe any of that nonsense about Starclan and changing their names, he should've introduced it a little at a time.

Adder would not accept someone like that to lead them. Not when they had been doing just fine making decisions amongst themselves…

Or had they? He recalled the division in the shipyard when it was decided they needed to leave in the first place. A lot more happened than he knew at the time. Rose's family had broken off to try their luck elsewhere. Wave had confronted them. There was a disagreement, Rose was abandoned. Then there was the journey itself. The way they handled it as a group was satisfactory considering no one died, but still, with proper leadership maybe it would've gone better. Less bickering. Less uncertainty.

Still, he didn't consider Pike a prime candidate. The tom was a bundle of nerves. He was ignorant and inexperienced. Adder wouldn't be surprised if they wandered off a cliff wherever Pike was dragging them—highstones, wherever that actually was. That's why it had come as such a shock to hear him declare himself their leader. What ever spurned that on?

Adder walked with his head low. He skulked like a kicked dog looking for a place to lick its wounds. Fresh as it was in his mind, he could admit with some clarity, that he handled that poorly. Right in front of Wave and the kits too. Then he had run off like a hot-headed teenager. To think that he had once been like that all the time.

Age had mellowed him. Wave had tempered him. He was not the wildfire that he used to be, blazing through life, leaving ashes in his wake.

What a fool I am.

When Adder looked up he was at the river's edge. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear the roar of a waterfall. Focus. Adder couldn't return to Wave and the kits without something to make peace. He settled in and chose a spot where the current looked steady. His eyes skimmed the water, flickers of movement catching his eye. The tom leaned over a bank, tracking a shadow beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to strike....

___________________ There wasn't a wrong or a right he could choose 𓆟 He did what he had to do ________________

• "speech" - thoughts
  

• 

• Adderfang he/him & riverclan
  𓆟 Chocolate ticked tabby w/ amber eyes. Peppered with scars. Deep gash across the right side of his face exposing one canine slightly. Missing left ear.
  𓆟 Deep gravelly voice that might unsettle others.
  𓆟 Would and will kill a man.
  𓆟 Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted. For other powerplays, DM.
  𓆟 Fur smells faintly of river reeds and damp earth.
  
  
  penned by Scarlet​

 

[Wavesong]

Wave followed after Adder quickly, not stalking, definitely not. Maybe at another time, she would have. But right now? There was too much adrenaline rushing through her, too much tension humming in her veins for stealth. So instead, she blundered forward, her steps anything but quiet, ensuring Adder would definitely hear her coming. Not that it mattered. Before he could even turn to face her, she pounced. The force of it sent them both tumbling into the water below, a startled splash echoing around them. Wave didn't know if he'd been about to catch something, didn't know if some poor fish had just gotten a second chance at life. She didn't even know what lingered in his mind.

But she did know one thing... He didn't have to face it alone.

Breaking the surface with a laugh, she flicked a pawful of water toward him, her eyes glimmering with mischief. Paddling through the newly found river, she closed the distance between them, warmth threading through her voice. " C'mon, my love… yer heated an' makin' a kit outta yerself. " Her tone was soft, teasing, but not unkind. " It's a lot, I get ye... " Reaching him, she gently nudged her nose against his, a small, affectionate gesture meant to ground him. " But he is tryin'... Ye really think Pike would jus'... blabber 'bout stuff like that outta nowhere? " She tilted her head slightly, watching him. " Ye know him better than that, m'love. Ye know he wouldn't. Wherever he got these stories... someone must've told him, mm? " Another playful splash, a lighter moment to break through the weight hanging over him.

" Yer tired. Ye shouldn't hunt. What I want ye to do… is sleep. " Her voice softened even more, concern lacing her words. " Ye've been askin' too much of yerself. " A beat passed, and she flicked an ear, suddenly aware of how cold the water was. Maybe shoving the both of them in wasn't entirely her best idea… but it had done what she wanted. With a small huff, she tilted her head. " Come… let's find ye a place to rest yer weary bones. I'll take care of it from here. "

___________________ We sail the seas of life and believe, ☆ The tides will lead us home ___________________

• "speech"
  

• 

• WAVE she/her, RiverClanner, thirty-three moons.
  ☆ a black and white lh cat with light blue eyes
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ whichever relations / want listed
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by lion ↛ lionheartedphoenix on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[Adderfang]

The tom's ears twitched at the sound of heavy paw steps behind him. He didn't need to turn to know it was Wave. He would recognize her steps anywhere—not just their weight, but the way she moved, like a rush of wind racing across the sea before a storm.

He had already resigned himself to a watery fate before she even reached him. Adder knew her enough to know he wasn't staying dry. Knew he deserved it, too, after the scene he'd made back at camp.

Still, his eyes stayed locked on the fish taunting him from below. He could scoop it out if he was fast enough, just before she sent him tumbling. He lunged, claws flashing toward the water's surface.

Not quick enough.

A weight slammed into him, sending him crashing into the river. A rush of bubbles filled his ears, cold water biting into his fur a shock despite knowing this was coming. He burst above the surface with a gasp, whiskers dripping, a sodden river reed dangling over his nose. He sputtered, blinking miserably up at his mate.

When she scolded him, he didn't argue. His ears flicked back, eyes lowering. "I know…" The defeat in his voice was unmuddied. For a tom who prided himself on seeing the world clearly—just as his father had—he had made a fool of himself today.

Waterlogged and heavy, Adder drifted closer as she came to him, draping himself over the dual-colored molly like a wet rag. He drew comfort from her presence, even if she was here to batt his ears about what he done.

"I shouldn't have said those things to him. I… regret that now," He sighed heavily. "But it wasn't right to pour that down our gullets. What was all that odd talk about StarClan, changing our names and such? Does he really know what he's talkin' about?" His face crumpled with irritation. There was enough change being forced upon them already with having to move.

But Wave was right. Pike didn't mean any harm by it. So where had Pike gotten these ideas? Someone must have put them in his head. The tom's imagination wasn't that wild on its own.

Besides, it couldn't all be his choice to make. Adder didn't know if he was ready to place the well-being of his family in someone else's paws. Whenever he and Wave made a big decision, it was as a family, making decisions as a group was no different.

"He's a good tom, got a good heart, but that head of his ain't always balanced. I worry what he'll get himself into—and our family." Whether Pike's leadership would lead them somewhere better or worse, Adder couldn't know. And that terrified him.

But they had a good start, finding this place. He did have Pike to thank for that.

His brooding was cut short as another assault of water broke against his pelt. He flinched, then gave Wave a weary look, unable to keep a small smile from tugging at his mouth

When had his eyes started feeling so heavy? Even after taking an involuntary dip in the river, exhaustion clung to him. Wading toward the bank took more effort than it should have. But a few days without sleep was bound to do that. It was finally catching up to him. During the trip, the only thing that had mattered was to keep everyone safe. There had been no time to rest, not with all the threats swimming in his mind.

Adder crawled onto the bank, tail flicking for balance, slapping against the water's surface. He hauled himself ashore and shook out his pelt, grumbling as the wind ruffled through it, cutting sharp against his damp fur.

"Are you sure it'll be alright?" He asked softly, turning back to help Wave up, droplets still tumbling from his coat.

___________________ There wasn't a wrong or a right he could choose 𓆟 He did what he had to do ________________

• "speech" - thoughts
  

• 

• Adderfang he/him & riverclan
  𓆟 Chocolate ticked tabby w/ amber eyes. Peppered with scars. Deep gash across the right side of his face exposing one canine slightly. Missing left ear.
  𓆟 Deep gravelly voice that might unsettle others.
  𓆟 Would and will kill a man.
  𓆟 Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted. For other powerplays, DM.
  𓆟 Fur smells faintly of river reeds and damp earth.
  
  
  penned by Scarlet​

 

[Wavesong]

Wave watched her other half with quiet understanding, her nose just above the water's surface as she listened. The unmistakable defeat in his voice made her sigh softly through her nose before lifting her head fully from the water. No need for more scolding, he already knew his words had been sharp, unthought, and perhaps even unfair. " Yer a smart and lovin' cat, m'love. " Her voice was gentle as she rasped her tongue over the side of his head, a quiet gesture of comfort. She listened as he spoke, nodding now and then, understanding where he was coming from. It was odd talk, sure, talk that belonged in the stories her mother used to tell her. But stories always came from somewhere, didn't they? And so did Stormchaser.

Her mouth quirked into a fond smile. " Yer a hedgehog when yer irritated, ye know that? " she mused, bumping her nose against his cheek. " All bristles an' spikes when somethin' rubs ye the wrong way. " Her eyes flickered with meaning as she studied him. " Ye realize that Pike too is fumblin', huh? Unsure of what t'do. Ye can see that he's strugglin' too, right? He's tryin', but this… " she exhaled through her nose, tilting her head. " He's not used t'bein' a captain. He needs some help with that. "

A pause. Then more firmly she added. " We take care of our family. An' others with it. Through better an' worse. " She shifted, moving out of the water with his help, shaking out her pelt before turning to face him fully. " …Adder. " Her voice was softer now, but no less firm. " He's gonna need someone at his side with a good head on his shoulders. Ye can be that fer him. Be a friend an' a voice of reason. A sharp tongue ain't always a bad thing, it makes a cat think twice before doin' somethin' rash. But a sharp tongue with fire behind it? That only hurts. Pike looks up t'ye, y'know. "

She let the words settle before huffing softly, then nudged him forward with a finality that left little room for argument. " Aye, I am sure. Ye need rest too. Go back t'camp. Curl up. REST. I'll keep an eye out. "

___________________ We sail the seas of life and believe, ☆ The tides will lead us home ___________________

• "speech"
  

• 

• WAVE she/her, RiverClanner, thirty-three moons.
  ☆ a black and white lh cat with light blue eyes
  ☆ mentored by who / mentoring no one
  ☆ whichever relations / want listed
  ☆ peaceful and healing powerplay permitted / / underline and tag when attacking
  ☆ penned by lion ↛ lionheartedphoenix on discord, feel free to dm for plots.

 

[Adderfang]

She spoke sense. Some he should've thought of himself before lashin' out like a teenager and stomping off into the woods.
For a second, that hot-headed younger—the one who used to pick fights with his Pa at every turn—had stormed back into the picture. And now, Adder had said things he couldn't take back. Words that wouldn't be put to rest overnight.

He gently helped pull Wave from the water, unable to stop himself from watching the way the light caught on her pelt. Even when she was telling him every which way he was wrong, he couldn't help but admire the fierce typhoon of a she-cat he had chosen to spend his life with. Adder could've watched her til the end of time, but he imagined nothin' would get done that way.

Adder imagined he must've looked pitiful—good ear sagging every other way but where he wanted it, water dripping from his whiskers, weary lines under his eyes. But when she said his name, his gaze leveled with hers. Whatever she was about to say, he knew to listen.

She wanted him to be there for Pike. To be a friend and to guide him. A low, uncertain grumble rose in his throat, but he just furrowed his brows and stayed quiet. Adderfang had spent most of his life alone after breaking off from his siblings. His first friend, his only friend, even now—was her.

He frowned, but the firmness in her voice kept him from arguing. He tried to be the voice of reason before. Would Pike even listen to him now? After everything, especially after what he said? Adder wasn't so sure. Besides, if Pike didn't even want to be captain, then why take it upon himself? He had never jumped to leadership before. What changed?

As Wave had said, Pike was struggling. That much was obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes. He was going to struggle and flail like a fish out of water. Maybe he'd figure it out on his own… or maybe not. Either way, it seemed he was determined to chart that path.

His mind was a jumble, trying to grasp everything she was saying. But he wasn't just hearing her. He was trying to understand. He knew what needed to be done, to do what she asked. Adder would have to set his wrongs right.

But how was he supposed to do that? If he tried talking to Pike now, they'd only end up in a deeper pit. So, when? Tomorrow? Next week?
"Not sure I can do all that, but…" He exhaled, glancing at her, voice turning soft. "For you, my tempest, I will try. I'll find a way."

He shuffles forward as she pushes him along, paws scraping the dirt lazily. "All right, all right. I'm goin'," he grumbles, throwing her a glance over his shoulder.

A small smile curls on his maw as he treads the way back to camp. "But—I'm not sure I can sleep if you don't lay beside me and tell me one of your stories first. Feelin' wide awake as is." He knew he was bound to get a look for that. But he said it anyway, just to see it.

___________________ There wasn't a wrong or a right he could choose 𓆟 He did what he had to do ________________

• "speech" - thoughts
  
  

• 

• Adderfang he/him & riverclan
  𓆟 Chocolate ticked tabby w/ amber eyes. Peppered with scars. Deep gash across the right side of his face exposing one canine slightly. Missing left ear.
  𓆟 Deep gravelly voice that might unsettle others.
  𓆟 Would and will kill a man.
  𓆟 Peaceful and healing powerplay permitted. For other powerplays, DM.
  𓆟 Fur smells faintly of river reeds and damp earth.
  
  
  penned by Scarlet​