juniper
"and this time, she won't be forgiving"
she looms over the riverside like a phantom staring at an unfamiliar reflection. it is not the same spotted tabby from a moon prior, not the one that had sat at this border jovial and enjoying the company of their neighbors. this one is whittled down, a creation of hollow, thinned bone, tightly drawn lines of scarlet to contrast deep sea-green hues. there is a flash of movement under the water, a glimmer of something moving and without much consideration her paw darts out to try to catch it-it slithers between her toes like it had nothing to fear at all... and she withdraws a dripping paw with a flick of disgust. how RiverClanners managed to do this with greater odds of success is a talent. they remember Frostmoth commenting that soon the river would not be as plentiful. did they simply stop swimming, lurch to the bottom of the river? where could fish even go but the river? her thoughts are broken by the tell-tale sound of twigs snapping behind her.
the ThunderClan leader whirls to face her would-be assailant, spine bristling already in preparation for conflict. but the bushes reveal only the familiar bark-toned pelt of her deputy and she scowls immediately. "Did you follow me out here," Loonstar asks, incredulous where a spiny tail lashes behind her. "Next time I'd rather you just admit it, rather than stalk me like prey, Owlbark."
the tingle of anger is warm against river-soaked paws, it scratches at an itch between her ribs that says this fire feels so much more comfortable than the cold of grief. (more, give me more reasons). more reasons to flare into a blaze of fury, if only to keep the chill at bay. her ear twitches, dragging her gaze away from his face for fear of what might sit there, behind his eyes. was she recognizable anymore?
"What do you want? I'm just... fishing..." she pauses, eyeing up the empty shoreline beside her. "Or... trying to, at least."