i'm lying on the moon

A white paw darted into the water, fast enough that you'd miss it if you blinked, swatting a small trout onto the riverbanks with a plap. Willowshade nipped at the base of the fish's skull, feeling it go limp in her mouth as she killed it swiftly. The she-cat surveyed the fish with a sigh; it was small, but any food is better than no food, especially in leafbare.

She padded a tail lengths away from the riverbank to dig a small hole in the sand to bury the fish for the moment, padding further down the river to a better fishing spot. Things had been very quiet since the huge battle that had overtaken the forest, and the she-cat really couldn't complain. RiverClan almost always fared better in leafbare than the other clans because of the fish, and she found herself thanking StarClan that she was a RiverClan cat, not for the first time.

A sparkle in the river caught Willowshade's icy gaze as she trotted along in the cool sand. She paused, eyeing the water. The silver tabby was briefly confused, not seeing any movement that would imply the presence of fish. Approaching the water curiously, she dipped a paw in to poke at the shimmering object. A stone, she realized, tail flickering with excitement. Willowshade lowered her head into the water, carefully plucking the stone out of the sand while avoiding a mouthful of sand. She set the stone down on the riverbank, examining it more carefully. It was one of the most beautiful river stones she'd ever seen, and it filled her with kit-like glee.

Willowshade pondered the stone for a moment, turning it over in her paws. This stone is almost too pretty to keep, she thought, her heart fluttering as a particular cat came to her mind. She shook her head, pushing the thought from her head-- she didn't have a chance, no matter how much she fancied the other cat.

ffffvvvvvvbbb

The silver she-cat jumped nearly a foot in the air, completely and utterly caught off-guard by the arrival of Ivyfeather. "Ivyfeather!" she blurted out in surprise, voice a half-octave higher than normal. "I must've been too distracted to hear you approach," Willowshade mumbled bashfully, shuffling her paws in the sand. As she overcame her initial surprise, she properly took in Ivyfeather's appearance-- it was obvious that she had tried to hide the evidence, but there were still a few snowflakes dappled into her fur. Willowshade tried (and failed) to hide a chuckle. The soft look of adoration in her typically cold gaze wasn't very well hidden, either.

"I've caught a couple of decently sized fish. The river is surprisingly lively for this time of year," the silver tabby finally answered. "It's a little warmer than it usually is, though, so I suppose that helps. I was just looking at this pretty stone I found while heading upstream." Willowshade tapped the stone with her paw. "I've never seen one quite like it."