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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Sept 10, 2014 20:07:38 GMT
And so it goes. Warmth, contentedness. Autumn couldn't remember having been so comfortable in at least a moon. Her body felt heavy as stone, and rightfully so after having run nearly nonstop for seven days. The birds had begun to chirp, their song sweet yet not overwhelming. That, combined with the soft morning light filtering through the leaf-cover above had been what first woke Autumn from her slumber. For a time, she didn't even want to rise. In her mind, hazy with sleep, she was in another place. Another time. Resting on the riverbank after a long day's hunting with her sisters, taking solace in the sun after a successful catch. She wasn't fully awake yet, and she allowed herself to dream.
Spring's mate likely would have come over again, after their hunt. He always brought fish of his own, such a polite young tom. Before long, Summer would probably wake her up with her splashing and she would find herself with a soaked coat. Autumn's ears twitched unconsciously- she certainly didn't want that. She just wanted to rest.. The calico felt like that hunt had lasted a season. Her legs were stone, her body was stone, and her head was filled with fog. There was a vague ache to her pawpads and face, but perhaps if she slept just a bit more that would all fade away...
A much closer bird began its song, startling Autumn out of her sleep. Golden eyes snapped open, but were slow to adjust. Where was she...? Confusion swam through the loner's mind as she pulled herself into a sitting position, leaning against the wall for support. Wall..? To her left was a wall of root and earth. As Autumn sat up, the heaviness in her belly came back to her and her memories began to return. Ah... that was right. She was pregnant and in the mountains now. Oh dear.. A quiet groan escaped the she-cat as she righted herself, trying to blink the sleep away. She felt so tired because she hadn't slept properly before now in days. Even so.. She was beginning to feel better.
Having risen fully now, Autumn took a look around at her surroundings as her eyes adjusted to the soft light filtering through the roots above. She seemed to be underneath of a tree- yes, she remembered now. This was where she and.. Looking around, Autumn soon found the cream bundle of fur that marked the she-cat who had helped her last night. She'd ended up settling in a decent ways away, and still seemed to be sleeping. Rookshadow. The sight of another cat put Autumn at ease. She... she needed friends, more than anything else right now. And it seemed like Rookshadow was going to be a fine one. The she-cat had wanted to help her, even after Autumn had broken down and been screaming. She'd helped clean her coat and wounds, told her where she was, and had calmed her from her state of panic. Autumn was very grateful. She would let her new friend rest for now.
As silent as she could be, the queen squeezed out from a hole in the roots. It was a tight fit- it seemed like she was getting bigger every day. She would be ready to pop any time now. It was distressing, moving around so much while she was pregnant. All that she wanted to do was nest, but fate seemed not to want her to do so. Stepping into the sunlight, Autumn smiled as the soft rays began to sink into her pelt. Even if she couldn't nest, at least she was warm.
The large lake which she'd been heading for last night was nearby. Barely even a treelength away, she could already see the sunlight shimmering on its surface through the thin forest. Thirst tickled at her throat, and the queen decided that she had ought to make her way over there. She should get a good look at herself, too. Autumn hadn't seen herself properly since before leaving Shade, she had no idea what she must look by now. She padded slowly yet deliberately, enjoying the sun and the gentle birdsong. Looking around as she walked, Autumn realized that this place was quite beautiful. Aurora hill, wasn't it? A beautiful name for a beautiful place. Yet even the most beautiful of places still held danger, and she would have to be on her guard.
Approaching the crystalline lake, Autumn was hesitant in looking at her reflection. How bad was her injury? How much of a mess was she? The queen almost didn't want to look, but she knew that she must. Peering over the edge, Autumn's face was emotionless as she looked herself over. Her coat was much cleaner than it had felt- likely due to Rookshadow's help. There were still patches of mud here and there- burrs lodged and a few tangles, but nothing that couldn't be washed out. Her face though.. This was Autumn's first time seeing the scar that now stretched from cheek to cheek. It was large, deep, and very noticeable. Still fresh, it was just beginning to scab over again. Autumn.. Didn't know what to think. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that that scar would be there for the rest of her days. A constant reminder.
But even so.. There was nothing that she could do about it now. Leaning down, Autumn lapped at the cool water, relishing at the chill in her throat. That was much better. Ah wait.. She should clean her wound again- this time properly, with water. Taking a deep breath, Autumn plunged her face into the water, clenching her teeth at the chill. The queen withdrew her face after a few moments, shaking the water away with a shiver. The water was most certainly as cold as it looked.
Autumn wasn't sure when Rookshadow would awaken, or if she still planned to help her after last night. Autumn, of course, wouldn't force her to do anything that she didn't want. She would have appreciated it, but in the end it was up to the cream she-cat. Even if she chose not to, Autumn was still thankful. Running a paw over her face, Autumn settled into a state of deep thought as she began to groom. First her face, then moving on to her fur. Grooming always helped her think. Analyzing her situation, thinking of ways to better herself in the future, and planning what to do next.
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Post by Kibbles on Sept 10, 2014 20:30:34 GMT
 RookshadowRookshadow was in a light, fitful sleep. Her heart was pounding quickly as she lightly dreamed. Her ears flattered to her head and her face scrunched up tightly. Her fur bristled and claws unsheathed in her sleep. A whimper and a low growl escaped. Her tail lashed in her sleep and her teeth bared. Tears began pouring from her eyes once more.
At the sound of splashing water, she leaped up, claws unsheathed and digging into the ground. What had been that noise? She looked around and blinked the rest of the tears away. She noticed that Autumn was awake, and was now shaking her head to get the water off. Her heart slowed as she realized she wasn't in the war anymore. She was with a queen, someone who needed her.
She sheathed her claws and let her fur lay flat. She padded over. "How'd you sleep?" she asked as she neared the calico and white she-cat. She leaned down and drank some water, letting the cool liquid run down her throat. The water helped calm her.
"You look as if you're due any day now... If you don't mind, I'd like to help you. At least until you can help yourself and your kits," she mewed.
tags;;Sookeh, lyrics;;Superchick |
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Sept 11, 2014 2:25:02 GMT
And so it goes. Through the water dripping from her muzzle, Autumn caught scent of her companion. Running a white paw over her face a few more times, the calico turned her head to greet the cream she-cat. Their meeting this time was as far from their first encounter as could be. The sun was shining, the birds singing, and Autumn's fur lay flat. There was still a bit of sleep in her golden eyes, and a small smile on her muzzle as she dipped her head in greeting. "Good morning Rookshadow." she meowed, flicking an ear. She was almost friendly now, in contrast to her hostile panic the night before. But in a world like this, and especially at a time like this, one needed all the help they could get. And Rookshadow had proven to be a she-cat who could be trusted,. A potential friend in these strange times.
"I slept very well, thank you. Much better than I have lately, and my best rest in perhaps a moon." she meowed, turning back to her grooming as Rookshadow bent to drink from the lake. Her limbs were still sore, but that came with vigorous activity. She felt well rested and had dreamed for the first time in a week, Autumn would consider that to be a good sleep. Peering at Rookshadow out of the corner of her eye, Autumn realized that the elder she-cat seemed rather ruffled. "And you? How did you sleep?" she questioned in return. By the looks of it, not well. Autumn had been too deep into her own rest to pay much attention to Rookshadow's, but it seemed like it had been a fitful one at best. Her one golden eye seemed tired, and her coat a bit astray.
Before she stared for too long, Autumn returned to her grooming. It was so nice to feel her fur growing cleaner. Autumn always liked to keep a clean pelt, and hers was always so soft when in a proper state. Taking care of yourself physically was important for your mental health as well as your physical, a member of her kithood group named Shadow had always told her. It had amused Summer to no end how such a fierce tom always kept himself so clean. Autumn was realizing the truth in his words now however. Washing up had made her feel much better.
Rookshadow spoke once more now, about her kits. Looking down at her belly, Autumn couldn't help but nod. It was true, she'd grown so large that it was often painful. She'd been about to agree when Rookshadow continued- her words ones that Autumn had very much hoped for. A larger smile spread across the queen's face, and she quickly nodded. "I would like that very much, thank you Rookshadow." She smiled, her voice almost a purr. Yes, Rookshadow would definitely be a good friend. Despite her newfound wariness of others, Autumn could tell. It was reassuring to know that she had someone who she could trust, especially now of all times. "I really do appreciate it." she meowed once more, hoping to convey her earnestness. Despite being an introverted she-cat, Autumn didn't like to be alone. Being raised in a group would do that to a cat. And now, to her happiness, it seemed as though she wouldn't have to be.
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Post by Kibbles on Sept 11, 2014 11:53:11 GMT
RookshadowShe purred as the queen allowed her to stay and help her. She then realized she hadn't answered her question. A slightly clouded expression came to her face, but it soon disappeared. "It could have been better. Just a few nightmares," she replied. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either.
"But enough about that. You're so close to kitting and there's no way you can kit around here. We have to find a safe place. I know of one that isn't too far away, just a little south of here. About a days journey if we take it slow and stop to rest every once and a while," she mewed before scenting the air.
"I'll even catch us something to eat on the way," she added, wrapping her tail around Autumn's shoulders comfortingly. With it being new-leaf, it was getting warm. It was a good season for the queen to kit and prey was becoming more and more plenty every day. Something that both her and the she-cat could be happy about.
Her thoughts wondered to their late night visitor the previous night. She wondered where he had gone off to. She wouldn't bring it up, though. Autumn didn't know her old friend. Plus, Rookshadow was unsure if she even wanted to talk about it. Boltfang had not only been her friend, but family. She had great nieces and great nephews from him. She had often thought about him, wondering if he was still alive. Now she knew that he was and she wasn't sure if she was happy or sad about it.
tags;;Sookeh, lyrics;;Superchick |
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Sept 19, 2014 18:44:42 GMT
And so it goes. A rather thoughtful look crossed Autumn's face as Rookshadow answered her question, but it was replaced with understanding and a nod after a moment. Nightmares were always difficult, and often a difficult subject. Butterfly had had many after the earthquake, and as barely more than a kit Autumn had learned not to ask too many questions. Oftentimes nightmares were just figments of the imagination, but they could be other things as well. Figments of the past, visions of the future, or in one odd case that she'd heard from a she-cat on her travels- visions of the future. Deciding not to press the topic, Autumn ran a paw over her face once more as Rookshadow continued onto the next subject.
Golden eyes widened slightly, hope springing into their depths as Rookshadow mentioned that she knew of a safe place to rest. She had been thinking about that. Where to have her kits, if any territory around here was even safe.. Plenty of worries, though they were put at rest with a few simple words. "That sounds wonderful, I'm glad." she smiled, allowing a slight flicker of happiness at the tip of her tail. And just a day's walk away? With her kitting potentially coming any day, it would be nice if she could get even a bit of nesting in before she had them. And finding a place to have them- a close one at that- was the first step.
A warm breeze blew across the water, and Autumn closed her eyes and sighed at the feeling. It was nice. The she-cat was happy that she would be kitting in Spring as opposed to a colder season, like she'd heard of other cats doing. She couldn't even imagine having kits in Winter- especially in these mountains. And thankfully she wouldn't have to. If she were lucky, both she and her kits would find somewhere safe and comfortable, living out their early days with warm breezes, full bellies, and the scent of fresh flowers. Spring was a lucky season.
At the thought of a full belly, Autumn's own gave an embarassing rumble. The calico's ears fell back, flat with embarassment. But Rookshadow soon rested her tail on her shoulders, assuring her that she would catch something on the way. Autumn was truly taken aback by all of the kindness that she had been shown by this she-cat. Rookshadow had been a stranger not two sunrises ago, someone who she didn't even know existed. But now the cream loner was doing such kind things for her. Autumn wasn't quite sure how to react. But she ended up settling for a "Thank you, that would be nice. I would offer to help but.." she then nodded to herself, clearly in no state to be doing any such thing. She hadn't eaten properly in roughly seven sunrises, despite having attempted to hunt.. It had proven just about impossible in her state.
Slowly, the she-cat began to rise to her paws. She winced in pain at first, but soon adjusted herself properly. She'd never believed Jamie when her mother had spoken of how painful this could be, but now Autumn had wished that she'd taken her advice when she'd had the chance.
Looking around, Autumn took in the sight of the mountains. So frightening they'd seemed over the past week. Strange and unfamiliar, looming and full of dangers. But.. oddly enough, they didn't seem quite as scary any more. "It will be nice to find a place to stay as quickly as you say the trip will take." she meowed thoughtfully, giving a small stretch. She'd groomed enough, and her fur was once more soft and fluffy. With a (somewhat) rested mind and a clean coat, Autumn felt much better than she had in days. "I've been on the move for quite a time, so being able to finally settle into a place will be a relief." she admitted, flicking her ears. In truth, she'd only been able to stay with Shade for a few days before the.. Incident. And before that, they'd had to travel all the way from the farmlands to the mountains. Despite having traveled much as a youth, Autumn was ready to find somewhere permanant to rest her head.
Shaking away those thoughts, Autumn stood up a bit straighter. "I'm ready to go when you are." she meowed, looking to her newfound friend with a calm expression, though within the golden depths of her eyes a bit of hope could even be seen. Hope that things would finally go right.
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Post by Kibbles on Sept 21, 2014 14:51:12 GMT
RookshadowShe purred loudly at the she-cat. "Great, lets start moving so we can get you and the little ones some breakfast," she meowed, getting to her paws. She tasted the air to see if anybody, or anything, was around them. When as she could smell was the forest, and faint scents of prey, she padded forward, heading in the direction of the Hidden Grotto she had ran into not a moon before. She made sure to stay close to Autumn, glancing back to see how the heavily pregnant cat was doing.
Finally, when they had traveled for a little ways away, she waved her tail. "Here's a good place to rest. You can sit among the roots and I can catch us something to eat." she suggested, pointing to a jumbled mess of roots. It was the safest place she had seen so far. Plus she hadn't ran into any other scents so far, which meant no rogues had been around here lately. Nor foxes or badgers.
Once she was sure the she-cat was comfortable, she turned and disappeared into the underbrush. A half an hour later, she came back. A mouse and a plump squirrel was hanging from her mouth. She dropped the two pieces of prey. "Here, you can have the squirrel. It'll fill you up more and give you the strength."
She took the mouse for herself, not letting the she-cat have any say in the matter. She knew the Squirrel would be better too, since it'd also give the she-cat and the kits nutrients. She laid down and began to eat it slowly, taking her time. They were in no immediate rush after all. Plus, the she-cat's paws must be aching.
This made Rookshadow think back to what herbs Webfoot had taught her when she spent time with the medicine cat. Surely he had said something about pain. She closed her eye to think about it. She then remembered Ginger. She got to her paws after she finished eating her mouse. "I'll be right back, I know something that will help you," she purred, moving under the underbrush again.
She came back a few minutes later, two flowers in her mouth. She laid them down. "Here, chew on these. It may sound silly, but this is Ginger. If you chew on it, it'll relieve the pain. An old friend taught me that before we parted ways," she mewed. She realized she would have to think of other herbs for the queen over the next few days. If not, it could mean life or death between Autumn and her kits.
tags;;Sookeh, lyrics;;Superchick |
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A flaming sword of burning righteousness and also fire!
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Post by ♏aple♢ on Nov 2, 2014 5:04:26 GMT
And so it goes. With a faint smile, Autumn nodded. She wasn't completely sure where this place that Rookshadow had in mind was, but she had begun to trust the loner's judgement. Wherever it might be, it was likely better than here. Looking around at her surroundings once more, the calico's whiskers twitched. This place was far too open. Too dangerous. It seemed that they would be heading further into the forest now, and that was good enough for Autumn.
The two walked for some time. It was quiet for the most part, and Autumn was content with that. She needed to get a feel for the land that would be her home in the coming moons. Focus all of her attention that wasn't on following Rookshadow in taking in her surroundings. Listening for wildlife, cataloguing certain cents. It was a talent she had, really. Autumn had always had an incredible memory. She could take a moment and engrave even the smallest details into her mind forever. The position of the sun. The temperature of the air. What creatures were making sound and the direction of the wind. It was very useful when it came to getting a feel for a new place, but it had its downside as well. Bad memories, namely. The mind doesn't discriminate between the good and the bad, and remembers all equally. Still, Autumn tried her best not to think about that as she and Rookshadow padded through the forest.
Flora and fauna in the mountains were quite different from the farmlands or even her early life in the forest, she soon came to realize. There were many scents that she didn't recognize. One reminded her of cat, but had a far more.. animalistic, musky scent to it. Larger. Another reminded her almost of a sheep, yet different still. There were dozens of flowers that she couldn't even put a name to. At least she wouldn't be bored while waiting for her kits to be born, she thought with dry amusement. Autumn would have to ask Rookshadow what all these new scents were.
So deep in her thought, the she-cat didn't even realize for a moment that Rookshadow was talking to her. Looking up with a start, Autumn found that Rookshadow had located a suitable spot to rest. Looking around a bit, Autumn found that she agreed. It was sheltered enough, and just inside the tree-line. With a nod, Autumn meowed "Alright. Thank you." there was gratefulness in her eyes as the queen looked to a tangle of roots where Rookshadow pointed. She was a bit weary, though it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been in the past week or so. Gratefully, Autumn sunk into the roots and rested her head on her paws. Closing her eyes, the sound of Rookshadow's retreating pawsteps and the song of the forest were all that filled her head now. She'd managed to relax considerably, and was now in a far better state of mind than she'd been in last night.
Though still alert, the calico allowed her mind to wander. The scents of plants and the sounds of animals still filled her ears, and curiosity pricked at her whiskers. There were some that smelled... slightly familiar, but still so different. The mountains certainly were a different place. Early on in her arrival there, she hadn't had much of a chance to just stop and explore, admire, and learn. All things that she enjoyed doing. She couldn' do much exploring now, but she was still capable of learning and admiring.
It wasn't long before Rookshadow returned, a mouse and a squirrel in her jaws. Autumn hadn't moved much since her departure, but the queen's eyes were now open. The scent of fresh prey sent yet another loud rumble through the queen's stomach, and she flattened her ears with embarassment once more before nodding gratefully. "Thank you, I appreciate this. It smells good." she smiled, pulling the squirrel towards her as Rookshadow dropped it. The loner wanted to savor the meal, but her hunger just wouldn't let her as she tore apart the prey, swallowing it in ravenous gulps. Though it had been less than a moon ago since she last ate, it felt more like a dozen. The kits must have been taking what little nutrients she had left, and this meal would restore some much needed strength.
Her meal was short, but once it had finished Autumn's stomach was finally full once more. It would take a few days for her to get back up to full strength, but this was a certainly good start. After a few moments she pushed what remained of the squirrel away with a contented sigh. "That was wonderful. I feel much better now." she meowed, her usual relaxed nature finally creeping back into her tone. She was normally a relaxed and calm she-cat, quiet and thoughtful but intelligent. Even playful on occasion. Her recent days had given her little leave for any of her true personality to shine through, however. When she finally looked back up at Rookshadow, she found that despite the loner's mouse having been smaller than her own squirrel, she was still eating. Ah.. perhaps she should have been a bit slower after all. But Autumn was perfectly content to simply continue to rest for a few more moments. The air was warm, a gentle breeze blowing through the green trees. It was a nice day, and one that had ought to be enjoyed. In her constant traveling as a youth, she'd learned early on to take what pleasures she could find where they were. You never knew when your next meal would be, or when you would next get to see a beautiful sky or rest peacefully in the sun.
And so, even though she hadn't had the chance to savor the meal, she did savor the relaxation that followed. Resting her head on her paws, the queen waited patiently for her new friend to finish her mouse. It didn't take long, and soon enough Rookshadow had risen to her paws once more. "Oh?" Autumn questioned, looking up as Rookshadow mentioned something that would help her. But before she could answer, the she-cat was gone once more. Something to help her.. Autumn tilted her head thoughtfully. Rookshadow had already been so kind to her, what else could she do? And hen the cream loner returned a few moments later, Autumn was still just as confused. "Flowers...?" Quirking a brow, Autumn began to wonder, only half seriously, if Rookshadow had.. mind reading powers. "I have been wondering about the flora and fauna in the mountains, but certainly this is no time for a lesson?" she questioned, reaching out to sniff the plants.
"Ahh, I... see." Autumn meowed, but her tone didn't sound so certain. Plants, relieving pain? Now that was something odd. She did seem to recall one cat in her kithood group saying such things once.. Cloud, if she recalled correctly. Shrugging, Autumn figured that if Rookshadow had planned on poisoning her, she could have done it long ago. Licking up the flowers, the calico blinked at the odd taste, but swallowed them nonetheless. "And this is supposed to relieve pain, yes?" she questioned once more. What friends did Rookshadow have that could know such things, she wondered. "Is this kind of knowledge common in the mountains? If so, I have even more to learn than I previously thought." she murmured.
Characters: Autumn
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Words: 1254
OOC: omg, post this was forever and an age coming. please forgive me X) |
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Post by Kibbles on Nov 3, 2014 1:02:52 GMT
RookshadowShe purred lightly at the comment and shook her head. "It's not very common, actually. I only know of a few cats that know of the healing properties of certain plants. I've picked up a few things here and there. I know of many that can help with the kitting, though, since I've had several litters," she explained.
She sat there for a few minutes, letting the slight breeze blow around them, as well as letting the she-cat rest a little bit. It was good for queens to rest. Especially this late into their pregnancy. She shouldn't be working too hard. She shouldn't be so stressed. So Rookshadow was determined to make the she-cat relaxed enough, as to not harm the kits or herself. It shouldn't be too hard. She was often with the newer queens, calming them down, when she was in the clan. She should still have it in her.
After about an hour, she got to her paws. The herbs should have taken effect by now, plus the queen should have had a nice rest. Rookshadow sure did. "Its time to get moving now, Autumn. We can take another rest in a bit. We have plenty of time to get there and nightfall is still a good ways away," she explained, tail curling as she waited for the queen to get to her paws.
When she did, the two started moving once more. Rookshadow walked next to her, letting her soft fur brush Autumn's, for comfort. She looked around, golden eye bright. "If you want to know somethings about the forest, I can teach you," she said suddenly, remembering what the young cat had said an hour previous.
tags;;Sookeh, lyrics;;Superchick |
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