~«Survival By War»~ (Warrior cat rp)

[Cluckcluck1215]

Hazelpaw set her kill at her paws and met his gaze, fully prepared to join in on his jubilation, when an unexpected wave of melancholy hit. Perhaps it was the blunt compliment that illuminated the unavoidable reality they'd all been trying to stray from.
So, out of all the possible responses that her humming mind came up with, her winded voice chose to produce the only one she really didn't want to say.
"I'm really going to miss you."

Crowpaw's grin faltered, almost as though the gentle breeze that washed over the moorland had swept it away, the glee and pride gleaming in his eyes falling away to be replaced by a sharp expression of shock. He hadn't expected her to say that, now or even ever.
Despite his vow not to care for the other cats on the journey, despite trying to not befriend cats who would just end up leaving, it was near impossible to stop the words from leaving his tongue. "I'm going to miss you, too, Hazelpaw." He lowered his head, his tone soft.
"I think more then I'm willing to admit, to anyone, even myself."

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

"To you, to Dove, to my sister, to any of the sane cats with actual morality." Ivypaw's hoarse mews deepened to spit out the last word like crowfood. "Instead, I've chosen to be blind and just as wrong as the worst of them for far too long."

"Then I'm just as wrong. So was Doveheart. And Sparkpaw and Deerpaw and Dogpaw. All of us who fought in this battle, all of us who were stupid enough to follow Rainstar—" Flamepaw broke off as he voice rose, drawing in a harsh breath. "It's not your fault. It's Rainstar's. Do you understand me? Don't blame yourself for what happened. Blame her."

 

[HeavensHens88]

Crowpaw's grin faltered, almost as though the gentle breeze that washed over the moorland had swept it away, the glee and pride gleaming in his eyes falling away to be replaced by a sharp expression of shock. He hadn't expected her to say that, now or even ever.
Despite his vow not to care for the other cats on the journey, despite trying to not befriend cats who would just end up leaving, it was near impossible to stop the words from leaving his tongue. "I'm going to miss you, too, Hazelpaw." He lowered his head, his tone soft.
"I think more then I'm willing to admit, to anyone, even myself."

"Sorry, I didn't mean..." But I did. Hazelpaw made a face. "Mousedung to that, I did totally mean that." Looking at him squarely, though, she found it even harder to put her feelings to intelligible words. "I dunno...I mean, once we get back, this is by all angles gonna be so wrong, but...I really...we really...ya know?"
Her narrowing glare of concentration had all but taken over her entire face when she was finally able to blurt out a firm, conclusive, and shameless declaration: "We're friends and, sorry StarClan, I don't want that to stop because of the outdated rules and regulations that our killjoy ancestors thought up."

 

[HeavensHens88]

"Then I'm just as wrong. So was Doveheart. And Sparkpaw and Deerpaw and Dogpaw. All of us who fought in this battle, all of us who were stupid enough to follow Rainstar—" Flamepaw broke off as he voice rose, drawing in a harsh breath. "It's not your fault. It's Rainstar's. Do you understand me? Don't blame yourself for what happened. Blame her."

I'm still going to live with my decision to voluntarily associate with these malignant cats forever, Ivypaw swore internally with a rash ferocity, unless I make it right.
"That- that evil incarnate will not fell another good cat," she vowed somberly, loosening her neck muscles so that her chin came to rest atop of the gray she-cat's still head. "You were the last, Doveheart. I promise you that."

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

"Sorry, I didn't mean..." But I did. Hazelpaw made a face. "Mousedung to that, I did totally mean that." Looking at him squarely, though, she found it even harder to put her feelings to intelligible words. "I dunno...I mean, once we get back, this is by all angles gonna be so wrong, but...I really...we really...ya know?"
Her narrowing glare of concentration had all but taken over her entire face when she was finally able to blurt out a firm, conclusive, and shameless declaration: "We're friends and, sorry StarClan, I don't want that to stop because of the outdated rules and regulations that our killjoy ancestors thought up."

Crowpaw watched her, listening to her every word. He was startled by her firm declaration, and lifted his head to look at her. He thought of the past morning and everything before that on the journey, and a realization hit him harshly, like he was taking that first plunge into the river after the ice had melted in new-leaf, that he felt happier then, then he had in a long time.
He realized that he had been staring at her, silent for a lot longer then he had intended. "I...I mean...I don't want this to stop, either, Hazelpaw. I realize that now. But...how? How will that work out? I wouldn't...I wouldn't want for you, or any of the other cats, to get in trouble with your leaders..."

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

I'm still going to live with my decision to voluntarily associate with these malignant cats forever, Ivypaw swore internally with a rash ferocity, unless I make it right.
"That- that evil incarnate will not fell another good cat," she vowed somberly, loosening her neck muscles so that her chin came to rest atop of the gray she-cat's still head. "You were the last, Doveheart. I promise you that."

Flamepaw looked away, unable to look anymore. It was almost to much to bear.
"The Tribe cat that killed such a sweet she-cat truly is an evil incarnate." Flamepaw's eyes snapped open as he looked in front of him. Rainstar stood there, her eyes filled with such sympathy, for a moment he almost believed it. "Doveheart was a good cat. Horribly weak, but had a good heart." Claws still stained with the blood of countless victims caressed the cold pelt of Doveheart, her eyes trained on the little cat.
Flamepaw held his tongue, refusing to say a word, though his entire body trembled with hardly restrained fury. What're the chances I'll make it out alive if I say something?
"I heard you both did well in the battle," Rainstar, with what seemed like honest curiosity, looked up at Flamepaw, before her eyes flickered to Ivypaw. "Especially you, Ivypaw."

 

[Frost bite88]

Brokenwing couldn't stifle a soft laugh, nodding. "Yeah, I kind of favor it, I guess."

~

With a purr, Ravenpaw trotted after her, bounding from tree branch to tree branch just for the fun of it. As the Warming Shore came into sight, though, she came down from her current branch, and would have landed neatly if she hadn't landed in a pile of sand. Shaking her pelt free of said sand furiously, she looked back up at Canopypaw with a foolish grin. "It's really nice down here!"

"Crab is pretty good considering the work it takes to crack the shell but I think fish will always be my favorite." Lostpaw decided as he looked at the weird legs of the creature Brokenwing had chosen. "They are very different after all... fish don't have eight creepy legs. We better eat it before it decides to live again and skitter away." He noted with a playful wrinkle of his muzzle.

~

"I bet it is!" Canopypaw called back from a branch before she not so gracefully slid down it's near by trunk with her three sets of gripping claws. She jumped the last few tail lengths and landed in the sand with a soft spray of it moving around her paws, she glanced back at her messy claw marks in the tree and snickered. "Think that counts as marking the territory?" She joked as she shook off her pelt and headed towards the fallen tree across the river, holding it's place like a firm unmovable bridge.

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

"Crab is pretty good considering the work it takes to crack the shell but I think fish will always be my favorite." Lostpaw decided as he looked at the weird legs of the creature Brokenwing had chosen. "They are very different after all... fish don't have eight creepy legs. We better eat it before it decides to live again and skitter away." He noted with a playful wrinkle of his muzzle.

~

"I bet it is!" Canopypaw called back from a branch before she not so gracefully slid down it's near by trunk with her three sets of gripping claws. She jumped the last few tail lengths and landed in the sand with a soft spray of it moving around her paws, she glanced back at her messy claw marks in the tree and snickered. "Think that counts as marking the territory?" She joked as she shook off her pelt and headed towards the fallen tree across the river, holding it's place like a firm unmovable bridge.

"It better not decide to live again! It might pinch my muzzle," Brokenwing mewed, trotting back to their spot in the sun. "And yeah, fish is good, but crab is just delicious. Well, not when it's crawling away, but you know what I mean."

~

"Sure, totally counts." Ravenpaw purred in amusement, spraying up sand as she spun around to trot after Canopypaw. "I don't understand how WaterfallClan cats enjoy getting wet," she stared down at the river, curling her lip. "Even getting my paws wet is awful, imagine swimming."

 

[HeavensHens88]

Flamepaw looked away, unable to look anymore. It was almost to much to bear.
"The Tribe cat that killed such a sweet she-cat truly is an evil incarnate." Flamepaw's eyes snapped open as he looked in front of him. Rainstar stood there, her eyes filled with such sympathy, for a moment he almost believed it. "Doveheart was a good cat. Horribly weak, but had a good heart." Claws still stained with the blood of countless victims caressed the cold pelt of Doveheart, her eyes trained on the little cat.
Flamepaw held his tongue, refusing to say a word, though his entire body trembled with hardly restrained fury. What're the chances I'll make it out alive if I say something?
"I heard you both did well in the battle," Rainstar, with what seemed like honest curiosity, looked up at Flamepaw, before her eyes flickered to Ivypaw. "Especially you, Ivypaw."

Unlike Flamepaw, Ivypaw's entire body became rigid as she shifted to face Rainstar. "I could've done better, ma'am," she replied smoothly, using calculated words that would be taken the wrong way by her sadistic leader. I 'could've done better' by having any mentor but a monster like you, for starters. "And I regret that."

 

[HeavensHens88]

Crowpaw watched her, listening to her every word. He was startled by her firm declaration, and lifted his head to look at her. He thought of the past morning and everything before that on the journey, and a realization hit him harshly, like he was taking that first plunge into the river after the ice had melted in new-leaf, that he felt happier then, then he had in a long time.
He realized that he had been staring at her, silent for a lot longer then he had intended. "I...I mean...I don't want this to stop, either, Hazelpaw. I realize that now. But...how? How will that work out? I wouldn't...I wouldn't want for you, or any of the other cats, to get in trouble with your leaders..."

"Well, we're gonna make it work out," Hazelpaw insisted passionately. "Look at us. Look how far we've come." Her waving tail flagged forward to gesture at the distant horizon. "Not to shine my own whiskers, but that took some pretty advanced apprentices." She fondly touched a paw to the cooling hide of her rabbit. "And because of our journey, we already have so much more experience with tactics and encounters that our Clanmates have never been exposed to." Her gleaming eyes returned to his. "Surely sneaking out of camp unnoticed a couple times a moon isn't going to be impossible."