Bitter Cold // Open!

[✗ Rabbitstar ✗]

The small she cat lay in the middle of the clearing, her pale green eyes skirting around the open more, gazing at her clan mates as they began to sir from their slumbers. She knew the second they were awake, they were going to wish they were back asleep. This leaf-bare was the coldest Rabbitstar had ever seen. Colder than the one back when she was deputy and they had lost many cats to frost-bite and starvation. She had wanted to be leader bad, but not the way she was given the role. Her tongue ran over her muzzle, warming her nose and lips for a few moments before the wind bit it even colder than it had a moment ago. As if to rub off the cold, she brushed her paw over her face, a muffled sigh escaping her throat. In all honesty, she was deeply worried for her clan. If this kept up, there would be no prey, and that would result in starvation - that is if they didn't all turn to cat icicles first. Still, she was the clan leader, their authority, the one thing that stood between them and chaos. She needed to remain in the positive.

Once the dawn patrol set off, she grabbed a rabbit from their pitiful kill pile. She would be out there with them, but she had gone hunting a little after moon-high, only managing three pathetic rabbits. Still, it was enough to get the hungry clan through the morning until the patrol returned with fresh meat. These rabbits were scrawny and now a bit on the frozen side, but it was still food and it would hopefully prevent them from becoming the same. Rabbitstar picked up the smallest one, leaving the larger ones for the queens and elders, and moved to lay down in a spot that she had swept the snow away from. It wasn't warm at all, but it wasn't as freezing as laying in the snow itself. For a while, she gazed at the slowly stirring clan, they were all as skinny as she. Their bones stood out, making them almost as bad as walking skeletons. And the only thing that crossed her mind as she took the first bite of her kill was

How in StarClan are we going to survive this again?

[LAKEHEART]

”Would you mind if I shared a bite of that with you, Rabbitstar?”

The words were careful, tentative, but with a somewhat forced air of cheeriness about them - though even Lakeheart, usually so good at acting ‘pleasantly’ despite her more cool nature, was clearly affected by the cold and hunger, a quaver audible in her voice even as she attempted to sound upbeat. The cream-and-white she-cat narrowed her green eyes respectfully as she approached her leader, head down slightly - but the confidence in her step was still unmistakable. As much as she might respect her leader, her politeness did not mean she was afraid of her. But then, she was not afraid of much of anything.

”I’m sorry to ask,” Lakeheart went on after a moment, shifting her paws slightly as she stood. ”I … I don’t want to take anything from the freshkill pile, not when I haven’t hunted today. But I haven’t eaten since last dawn, and I don’t know how much use I’ll be at hunting on a completely empty stomach.” She sighed, glancing at the pitiful kill pile as she finished speaking; this was more words than she would usually speak at one time, but she was doing this for a reason, ‘putting on a show’, almost - though the words she spoke were not untrue, only they were words she would not have usually dared speak aloud, and only did so now out of some hidden and unknown motive. ”Either way, I would like to take a patrol out, though, if you’ll let me… I know we don’t have a lot of cats to spare, and some cats are already out, but… even if it’s just me, I can’t sit by and watch the clan starve.”

Satisfied that she had spoken her piece effectively enough, she sank to the ground on paws which shook despite her confidence, betraying how much she was feeling the frigid cold and the effects of hunger, and waited silently for her leader’s answer.

[✗ Rabbitstar ✗]

The young leader had been lost in her terrible thoughts when a soft, hesitant voice filled her ears. It took her a moment to register who was speaking to her, but when she finally allowed the voice to break into her senses, she recognized it as one of her warriors - Lakeheart. She gave the she cat a friendly smile, pulling herself into a sitting position as her spiky furred tale wrapped around her paws. Her pale eyes were friendly, despite the pain she was facing both physically and emotionally. She was weak right now, they all were, but there was no way in the Dark Forest that she was going to show it to her clan mates, let alone her enemies. "Of course." She purred, arching her neck downward and pushing the kill toward the creamy colored she cat with her nose. She respected the way that Lakeheart was being confident in her movements, yet submissive and respectful all the same. It was a good trait to see in her cats. It showed that they may not be as strong as they could be - but they were still the strong-hearted and stubborn Windclan cats they were at heart. And at that moment, the worries seemed to fade away and her heart swelled with the pride that she felt about her Clan. They were warriors - they were going to make it through this .

They could make it through any disaster or tragedy that Starclan could throw at them. They were Windclan. They would survive.

Her ears perked up and she was once again ripped from her thoughts as Lakeheart spoke of not wanting to take from the fresh kill pile when she had not brought back her own kills. Again, the leader's heart swelled. She could not have better clan mates. She just couldn't. Rabbitstar gave the she cat a light smile, her tail tightening around her paws. "I completely understand," She murmured, "I appreciate and admire that you are so willing to put your clan before yourself as an individual, as well as your confidence to come and talk to me about such..." The leader struggled for the word. "...vital concerns we are having right now." That was good enough, an unsure smile curling onto her white tinted lips. "However, if you would like to take out a patrol, I would love to follow suite and leave Stormcloud in charge of the camp. You may lead, and choose two other cats to go with us. The dawn patrol should be back soon and we need to prepare if this leaf-bare decides to get colder." Another small smile and allowed her tail to brush over the cream warrior's shoulder. It was a sign of appreciation as well as a praise. Not many cats would get it from her, but she was proud of what Lakeheart had done, as not many cats would approach their leader and ask them to share a meal. It was an honorable, yet daring thing, and she was more than a little pleased.

[LAKEHEART]

The cream-and-white tabby dipped her head gratefully as her leader gave her permission to share a bit of the kill; she waited a heartbeat so as not to seem overeager, then bent down to sink her teeth into the cold flesh. The bite was tentative and small, hardly a morsel, and Lakeheart had to fight to control her hunger - she did not want to let it show, nor did she want to leave her leader with nothing to fill her own belly. As the warrior pulled back, she blinked down at the rabbit for a moment, seeming to consider how much was left, then took one more dainty bite, careful to leave as much as she could, before raising her head again. The skinny she-cat took a small step backwards - hardly noticeable to onlookers, but just enough so that the tantalizing scent of rabbit was no longer assaulting her senses. Her stomach was screaming in protest at the meager amount of food she'd ingested - just two tiny bites - and she figured she would be better off if she couldn't smell it quite so prominently.

As her leader continued to speak, Lakeheart's green eyes widened just a fraction; she might have expected to be permitted to lead a patrol, but she had never guessed that Rabbitstar herself would volunteer to come along on it - and still allow her to lead it. "Of course, Rabbitstar," she replied, voice even and calm despite her surprise, and giving a nod of appreciation. "Only..." She turned to survey the camp, where many warriors were still sleeping. She honestly wasn't sure if there was even one more warrior up and fit to hunt right now, let alone two. "Do you think we could take Timberpaw instead? I mean, he's your apprentice - it's up to you, of course. But perhaps it would be a good idea to take some of the apprentices out hunting...?" She allowed her voice to trail off hesitantly at the end of her question, in an attempt to tell her leader that it was her approval she would still defer to in the end. "We could take Ospreypaw, too, if you think it's a good idea," she added, tail curling slightly at the mention of her son's name. "StarClan knows he could use the experience." Her tone was light, as if the playful words of a loving mother - but inside, she truly meant the words. Try as he might, her warrior son had not yet seemed to prove himself very skilled at anything; she doubted he ever would. Lakeheart felt no animosity towards Ospreypaw, of course - he was her son - but so far, he had given her little to be proud of. She didn't like having to suggest taking him along on the patrol as it was, but it was true - there really didn't seem to be any other fit warriors, and she supposed it would probably be good for both apprentices to have a chance to test their skills.

[Deleted]

Like the day before, coldness overwhelmed the WindClan camp and probably all of the other Clan territories. It was never the most appealing weather, for it caused prey to go into hiding and cats to go hungry. No clan wanted that, but it always seemed to happen, no matter what. For WindClan it was a bit worse, mostly because of the lack of trees and forest to shield them from the cold and the snow. They had dens, yes, but those didn't always completely protect the brave warriors of the fields.
The sound of two distinct voices filled the grey ears of the WindClan Deputy. With ears perked and eyes open and focused, a grey and white figure exited the Warrior's den, tail curling to the sides as it did so. In an effort to locate the source of the voices, the she-cat's ears turned in different directions, listening closely to the noises around her. When she finally saw that the voices belonged to RabbitStar and LakeHeart, her hopes went up and she felt better knowing that it was two cats she enjoyed being around.
Beginning to approach the two she-cats, StormCloud heard her name mentioned by the Leader.
I would love to follow suite and leave Stormcloud in charge of the camp.
Finally walking over to the two cats, the she-cat looked between the Leader and the Warrior, bowing her head in respect to the two she-cats. "RabbitStar. LakeHeart," she greeted, taking a seat to the side of them, almost forming a triangle.

[✗ Rabbitstar ✗]

The Windclan leader gave a light smile when Lakeheart told her she would of course, be willing to lead the patrol with Rabbitstar on it. Her pale green eyes scanned the camp for a few moments before her ears caught that the cream colored she cat was speaking up again. The tabby's ears were perked attentively, listening patiently as Lakeheart offered to bring along Timberpaw and Ospreypaw. She knew that Ospreypaw was not doing very well in his training, maybe bringing him on a hunting patrol with his mother and more experienced cats would boost his confidence and give his mother something to be proud of. "That sounds wonderful." She purred, her pale eyes telling the other she cat that it was a good thought, and she appreciated that she had brought it up. Her tail flicked lightly against her paws and she turned when she heard her name called by a familiar voice that she recognized as her deputy, Stormcloud. A smile curled onto her pale lips and she let out a low purr. "Just the cat I was looking for. Good morning to you as well, are you keeping warm?" The leader asked, her eyes holding a small light of concern. Of course, she was more worried than she was letting off, but she couldn't let the Clan think that she didn't care. Then again, she couldn't melt down and look so concerned that it would frighten the other cats of the Clan. That was the last thing that they needed.

Once she got a reply from the deputy, she would pick up the remaining rabbit. Between herself and Lakeheart, there wasn't much left, but all the cats needed their strength. And in this time of need, there wasn't much they could do but share every little morsel they could find. About two or three bits remained of the rabbit and it wasn't nearly enough to fill the deputy or any cat, but it was something to hold her over until the dawn patrol returned and the sun-high one went out. She dropped the kill a tail length away from the deputy and then used her nose to push it over. "Take whats left, you are going to need the strength." Her voice was soft, but also strict, her way of saying that it was an order, not necessarily a choice. She wasn't trying to be hasty, she respected her deputy above all, but she also knew that compassion was high in her Clan. Some cats may try to give up their share for the sake of others, but right now, everyone needed the smallest bits they could get, and she wasn't going to let the second strongest cat in the Clan weaken due to that compassion. Once Stormcloud began to eat, she turned to look at Lakeheart and then back. "Lakeheart was going to lead a hunting patrol out when the dawn patrol returns. I was hoping to go with her and take Timberpaw and Ospreypaw to further their training and hopefully enhance their hunting skill on the moor. Would you mind keeping an eye on the camp when we are away?" A light smile crossed her face and she waited patiently for a response.
Tags: LAKEHEART , @stormcloud

[Deleted]

At the sound of the Leader saying that StormCloud was just the cat she was looking for, pride filled the she-cat's face and she felt the need to bow her head again, glad that she was the cat RabbitStar was looking forward to seeing. She to was glad that she could see RabbitStar, for she enjoyed the Leader's company. Though RabbitStar was Leader and StormCloud was Deputy, she still felt a respect towards her that wasn't just from one high rank to another. It was more like a friendship sort of respect. That was something she had with most cats of the clan, whether they were Warriors, Queens, Elders, or Kits.
Then, when she heard RabbitStar also ask if she was keeping warm, she had to let out a quiet sigh. "I suppose. But now days warmth isn't easy to come by," she stated, lifting her paw slightly and glancing down at the little ball of snow that resided on the top of her paw. Then when she watched the Leader push the rest of the rabbit the two she-cat's had been sharing towards her, she couldn't help but smile. As she lowered her head down to the small rodent, she flicked her ear and tail as a sign of saying thank you. While she took one last bite, or more like nibble, of the rabbit, she listened as RabbitStar explained what was going to be going on. At first she was confused that the Leader was allowing the warrior to lead the hunting patrol, but it actually did make sense when she thought about it. LakeHeart was a brave, honorable warrior, someone to be proud of. A cat worth trusting. She was perfect for the job.
"I see. I agree that both my apprentice and your's do deserve some training time. I would be honored to watch after our camp while you are away."

[LAKEHEART]

Lakeheart dipped her head respectfully to Stormcloud as she agreed to watch the camp, then stood, letting her tail uncurl behind her as she did so. "Then I'll go fetch the apprentices," she offered, giving both her leader and deputy a small smile in turn. Without another word, she turned and padded off, approaching the small 'den' where the apprentices usually slept. It wasn't much of a den at all - but then, most of WindClan didn't have true dens to speak of - but instead a clumping of heather patches and other foliage, just enough to offer a little shelter when the apprentices slept. Still, it was meager - and with this frigid cold, she doubted they were getting much sleep at all.  

"Timberpaw? Ospreypaw?" she called, narrowing her eyes a sliver as she peered into the heather, trying to tell if the apprentices were even there. "We're going on an early hunting patrol with Rabbitstar. Are you up?" 

[OSPREYPAW]

"A hunting patrol!" Ospreypaw, who had been awakened by the cold a short while before, shot out of the heather barely a few moments after his mother had spoken, tail fluffed out slightly and lashing behind him in his excitement. Then his blue eyes widened; Lakeheart was closer than he had realized, and he had to slam his paws down into the cold snow, bringing himself into a clumsy skid, to avoid colliding with her. As it were, he slid to a stop only a mouse-length from her nose; he blinked innocently as his gaze met her somewhat stern one, as if he hadn't just come within a hair of barreling her over. After a heartbeat, he seemed to realize how he had just acted, and with a sudden rush of embarrassment the little apprentice bent his head to give his ruffled chest fur a few sheepish licks, stealing a few very brief glances up at his mother as he did so. 

He had to remain serious - he knew it was hard, but he was falling behind in his training as it was, only managing to be mediocre at best at everything and excelling in no particular skill yet. He suspected his enthusiasm could be to blame for that, and as a result Ospreypaw often did all he could to try and fight to stay serious when it came to training. He wanted to be the best warrior he could possibly be - maybe even the best in the Clan! Then maybe Lakeheart could finally be proud of me.

Pushing past his mother to approach the others, he came to a halt beside Rabbitstar and Stormcloud, tilting his head to blink up at them owlishly. His gait was calm and slow as he fought back his eagerness - but even still, his tail twitched behind him, betraying the energy that coursed through his body. Rabbitstar was going to come on patrol with them - then he could impress her, too! So far he wasn't the best at hunting, but he was fast; maybe this time he could actually successfully kill a rabbit. He'd done it before, of course - he'd been training for nearly two whole moons! - but more often than not, the white-and-brown apprentice, though fast enough to catch the rabbits, would blunder the kill itself, either killing his prey sloppily and without enough skill and grace, or even accidentally losing his grip and letting the rabbits escape. Now both his mother and his leader would be watching - he'd have to be extra careful to hunt the best he could. And with prey scarce, StarClan knew the Clan would appreciate it.

"Are you coming with us, Stormcloud?" the little tom asked, tilting his head as he stared at his mentor. The enthusiasm in his voice was still audible, though it was subdued, and it was clear that he was fighting - and failing - to contain his excitement.

[✗ Rabbitstar ✗]

Rabbitstar sat patiently, her tail wrapped around her small, white paws, pale eyes scanning around the clearing. She rose her head to look at Stormcloud when she spoke up about watching the camp while they were away. The leader gave a small and a respectful bow of her head, nodding solemnly when Lakeheart said she would go and get the apprentices. While she was off, the tabby ran her tongue over her chest, cleaning the scraps of snow and rabbit off of her bright white fur. When she rose her head, she stood up on her paws, tail standing high behind her. "Thank you, Stormcloud." She meowed, her green eyes shining as she bent down to lick the deputy's shoulder. As she was about to go and see where the apprentices were, Ospreypaw's excited voice caused her to turn around and sit back down for the time being. They had to wait for Timberpaw, so there was no use in rushing. Her tail wrapped back around her paws as she watched the patched apprentice trying to contain the excitement he was feeling.

His innocent excitement brought her back to when she was an apprentice and she was chasing rabbits around the border with her siblings. They had been a trouble making group and often found themselves constantly getting in trouble. But, they were behaved enough to become warriors on time, and not too long after that, Rabbitstar had become the deputy and then the leader. It all felt so far away now, especially when she thought back to the nursery days. She gave a smile to the bouncy apprentice, letting her tail rest affectionately touch his shoulder as she passed to go and see what was taking her apprentice so long. She poked her head and looked around the den. "Timberpaw, what's taking so long?" Her voice was strict, but it was not rude, just a casual, get a move on, that she used quite a bit on him. 
Tags: LOST , OSPREYPAW , LAKEHEART , @stormcloud
Notes: Hey LOST, could you throw Timber in here? If you don't want him on the patrol just make him sick or something, if so, just one post from him and then we can start an actual thread in the territory :3

[TIMBERPAW]

TIMBERPAW.
weep for yourself my man, you'll never be what is in your heart.
weep little lion man, you're not as brave as your were at the start.

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"Timberpaw? Ospreypaw?" Lakeheart's voice penetrated the apprentice's dreams, sounding off somewhere distant and distorted. "A hunting patrol!" The eager voice that followed was louder this time, as though the voices had drawn closer somewhere in those dreams. Timberpaw stirred, curling tighter into his nest. He wasn't ready to move, not yet. Dreams tempted him back into refuge, away from the awful cold and fighting hunger. It was peaceful here, in dreams, where there was no hunger and there was no cold. Timberpaw didn't want to leave it, not yet.

"Timberpaw, what's taking so long?" It was a third voice now, stern and ushering in it's gentle way. The tabby tom felt himself being lulled back into reality. He was curled up tightly in his nest, with his ears pulled back from the cold and nose tucked close to his hind legs. Every limb was pulled in as tightly as possible, with a long tabby ringed tail looped over his head. It was cold here, but he knew it would be colder yet. The apprentice den offered what shelter it could from the harsh winter, but it didn't feel like it was enough. A shiver lulled along the apprentice's spine as Rabbitstar's voice sank in. Wake up now. It was his inner voice that spoke this time. Green eyes fluttered open.

Timberpaw groggily lifted his head, blinking sleepily at the world that greeted him. It was grey - everything felt grey in the cold season. The sky was always the colour of milky ash, with the sun hiding somewhere behind a blanket of cloud, teasing the warmth it had to offer, yet never revealing it. The snow, it was everywhere, a grim reminder of their hardships - as if the biting cold and horrible hunger wasn't enough.

He was pushing himself to his paws before his mind could really comprehend what he was doing. The lanky apprentice dipped his head to Rabbitstar as he ducked out of the apprentice den. The sight of Ospreypaw, his mentor, Lakeheart, and Stormcloud greeted him. Timberpaw's ears immediately burned with embarrassment. They were waiting for him. The tom swallowed hard, ducking his head with an apologetic look at Rabbitstar with a sheepish look that only could have said sorry for keeping you waiting.

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your grace is wasted in your face, your boldness stands alone among the wreck.

[LAKEHEART]

Lakeheart dipped her head as Timberpaw finally emerged from the den, turning to look at Rabbitstar. She shook herself, scraps of snow and ice drifting from her cream-colored pelt to the frigid ground, before finally opening her mouth to speak. "Right," she said. "I thought we could try that bit of moorland at the edge of the territory - the spot near the old tunnel entrance. No cat's been that far for a few days, so we might find some prey." As she finished, she glanced around momentarily, as if looking for approval, before remembering that was she was to be leading this patrol. Drawing in a breath, she turned and headed off - somewhat tentatively, as if giving a chance for Rabbitstar to correct her - but picking up speed fast. They had no time to lose if they wanted to bring back enough food for the elders by sunhigh.

(( OOC - i'm going to end this here and make a thread for the hunting patrol in the territory instead! hope that's okay! ))