A Meadow in the Wind [OPEN]

The cold breeze on the air always bit through the camp in the harshest ways. Despite its protection from the elements, the cold always managed to creep in at such a time. Meadowgaze's pelt kept her warm, but only enough to where she wasn't constantly shivering everywhere she went. With the sun high in the sky, all the warrior wanted to do was crawl back into her den where it was warm and sleep away the cold. She wasn't weak by any means, but the frigid air was something that greatly deterred the warrior from running the moors. With a huff, the youthful she-cat walked away from the warmth that was beckoning her inside the warrior's den, over to where she could find a bite to eat. Prey was definitely scare with the colder weather, but the small mouse that caught her eye would definitely suffice. It was a habit out of respect to pick the smaller pieces of prey, as there were many other cats that needed the larger pieces the Clan had caught and had to offer. So, with mouse in maw, the white fluff found her spot to enjoy the little snack, contemplations on what to do running in her head.

The sharp jut of Brindleface's chin was perched on the jagged crest of the Tallrock, her lanky forelimbs hanging heavily off of the edge of the looming stone. On the open expanse of the moorland, it was practically impossible to escape the breeze- a complication that was practically unbearable during the coolest days of the various seasons. So it wasn't that uncommon to find the various members of WindClan often clinging to the Tallrock in hopes of scavenging precious warmth, especially on days where the chill was much more prominent. Shifting so that she could properly stretch each individual limb, the she-cat's bleary gaze flicked open to the sharp crack of her joints rolling beneath the wild mass of her pelt.

"Even if you're planning on watching your figure," Brindleface hummed out, a slight lisp flavoring the playful statement, "That's hardly enough- I've seen kits eat more."

Wildstar had been dozing in the leader's den, enjoying a bit of peace and quiet during the cold leafbare day. His eye peaked open when he heard Brindleface speak about prey to the currently unknown clanmate. With a quick stretch, he padded out of the den to see who his deputy was speaking to. Seeing that it was Meadowgaze, he decided that he would join her near the fresh-kill pile to grab a snack before eventually leading a hunting patrol. "Slim pickings, huh?" he said jokingly. "Hopefully I can rally up enough people to go on a hunting patrol with me later." He picked out a couple smallish rabbits and leapt back up to the top of Tall Rock next to his deputy. "Got you a rabbit in case you were hungry."

Meadowgaze rolled her eyes, happily and quickly nibbling away at her mouse. "That's exactly why I picked this one, so the kits get the bigger pieces. They need it more than I do." Her tail swished about, hardly kicking up any of the dust that typically came with the camp. The colder air seemed to hold the ground more solidly together, so her white fur stayed a good bit cleaner. It was truly a win-win situation for Meadowgaze. As was customary and out of respect, her head dipped in greeting as she saw the leader emerge from his den. "Caring to join us in this weather?" She purred, glancing away at the sickeningly romantic gesture that Windstar offered to his deputy.

"I wouldn't mind going on a hunting patrol. We could use more stock. Always can at this time of year." Her mind was made up. Instead of being a lazy-bones, she would totally go out and hunt. It was one of her favorite things to do... when the weather was warmer.

There was a flash of vibrant pink as Brindleface's lips twisted into an odd little half-grin, the pronounced points of her elongated canines glinting coldly in the pale afternoon light. Pressing the sharp joint of her elbow more firmly into the sun-warmed surface of the stone, the she-cat shifted her weight so that she was able to sit more upright. "Our practically empty nursery appreciates your valiant sacrifice." She retorted, low voice lacking any true heat as she continued to watch Meadowgaze pick away at her relatively small meal. Initially only acknowledging Wildstar's emergence into the conversation with a flick of her ears, and a brief glance that drifted between both Meadowgaze and Wildstar, she gave a light shake of her head.

"If there's a prospective hunting patrol in the midst of my duties for the day, I can wait until later to eat." Brindleface lightly bumped the lean muscle of Wildstar's shoulder with the downy fur that frames the hard lines of her face, " I do my best hunting whenever I'm hungry. A full belly will only produce a nap, not a successful hunting endeavor."

Wildstar nodded. "Fair enough," he said, batting down the second rabbit into the pile. After taking a few bites of the smaller rabbit, he looked between the two other cats. "It's still early in the day, maybe we wait for the warmest time to go out and hopefully more animals will be out and about." he suggested.

Once more rolling her eyes, Meadowgaze's gaze followed the tumbling rabbit as it landed with a gentle thud onto the ground across from her. With her small mouse having been done rather quickly, the white fluff got up and stretched as far as she possibly could. It was truly a good stretch, a few of her joints popping in the process. "A nap doesn't sound half bad - it sounds as if you're already falling for one there Brindleface." It was Meadowgaze's turn for a joking retort, her salmon tongue swiping to clean any remnants of her meal from her alabaster maw. While her stomach did yearn for more, she ignored it. Small as WindClan was, all the food that could be saved would be put to better use in another warrior's stomach.

"Works for me." Hunting would definitely give the feline something to do. "In the meantime, either of you have any interesting stories to tell~?" It was still a particular favorite of the snowy she-cat to listen to stories. Be them fables or fact, it was certainly a brilliant way to pass the time. Glancing over at Brindleface, a smile of her own appeared. "Any antics your kit has been up to as of recent?"

Brindleface's narrow face scrunched up at Meadowgaze's words, indignation sharpening the already harsh lines of her features as she tilted her chin upwards. Reclining further with a dramatic flourish, the long-haired tabby kicked out a rear leg to rest atop the flank of her mate as all previous thoughts of a hunting patrol were quickly extinguished. "I'll have you know," she began with a weary sigh, "waking up every morning and telling everyone what they have to do is very exhausting. I think it's given me a few extra grey hairs than I originally started out with." Dropping the slight weight of her cheek to rest comfortably on an outstretched foreleg, the pale she-cat blinked as Meadowgaze inquired after the subject of her rather disastrous family. Brindleface's love of hearing herself speak was hardly a secret, but every cat in the forest was unfortunately well aware of how much she adored the subject of Breezepuddle and Rabbitpaw. "I think Rabbitpaw handled his transition into being named an Apprentice quite well- I was a bit worried at first, considering how quiet and jumpy he was back when he was still nursing. I mean, I could hardly take a single step away from him without some tantrum or another!" She began, tail sweeping outwards in a wide, curved arc.

"But don't even get me started on Breezepuddle. I swear, she could convince a starving fox to give her its hard-earned meal." Brindleface shook her head fondly, a secondary crooked half-smile gracing her features for a brief moment as she thought of her eldest daughter. "I'm glad she's a Warrior now, I don't think I could keep up with her these days."

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"I hear there are plenty of trees on the ThunderClan side of the border if you'd rather live there," Lionpaw said jokingly, slinking out from the shadows of the Tallrock and swiping his tongue across his maw. The remnants of his meal still clung to his face, a few downy feathers plastered to the silky fur on his chin and cheeks - he'd gulped down a scrawny sparrow, but there was plenty of room for more. The apprentice made his way over to Meadowgaze, butting his forehead against her shoulder and offering an affectionate purr as he settled down beside her to groom himself.

Wildstar chuckled (or is it a purr? idk how cats express humor anymore). "As a WindClan cat, everyone must get used to not having any cover from the elements. It's what hardens our bodies and our spirits to take on anything that gets thrown at us. Or something like that, anyhow." he said, doing the cat equivalent to a shrug. "It's still pretty early in the morning too, I'm surprised you caught anything before the sun is at its fullest."

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Meadowgaze returned the affectionate purr towards Lionpaw as he settled down beside her, a motherly huff of her own sounding from the she-cat as she noticed the feathers stuck around her messy eater of a son. "I'm pretty sure those feathers don't belong on your maw." Her ear flicked in amusement as with a few swift licks of her tongue, the feathers were gone. She definitely did not appreciate the taste of them, but they were soon spit out to reside a few mouse-lengths away. Her gaze returned back to the deputy, a purr-ow sort of sound echoing her amusement. "Breezepuddle's personality certainly shows that WindClan will be in good paws once we move on. Get a few more stubborn warriors like that, I'm sure that the rest of the forest won't even bother us." Wildstar's speech towards the apprentice about the moors made it hard to stifle another laugh of her own. She was fortunate to have a good bit of fluff on her, keeping her warm from the chill but also sleek enough to run quick with the rest of her clan. Of course, she had to work at it a bit harder to become as swift as some of the others. "It is a really good defense. Trading fluff and comfort for the ability to withstand the elements. But I do think it's more of the... 'or something like that,' Wildstar." A wink followed her comment, the cream-tinted white cat momentarily standing to stretch out her legs.

Brindleface let out a slightly exasperated snort at the prospect of Breezepuddle somehow inheriting responsibility within the Clan, amused and disbelieving at the idea of her eldest daughter ever slowing down enough to take a breath. However, the Deputy's attention was quick to shift away from the disastrously intriguing thoughts of Breezepuddle in power as Rabbitpaw began to playfully complain. "Ah, but I only speak of you so often because I love you so much." Her raspy voice caught softly on a low purr, evidently amused by both the current state of Rabbitpaw's appearance and his apparent distaste for gossip centered on his personal life. "You'll miss it whenever I'm old, half-mad, and terrorizing Apprentices, don't worry." The sprawled molly shifted into a more upright position as the two young Apprentices interjected themselves into the light conversation, mouth twisting into an amused simper as she watched Meadowgaze attempt to clear Lionpaw's little face of the downy scraps of feathers. "Now come here, you look like you've somehow managed to crash through every possible piece of undergrowth in the entire forest!" Using a delicate forepaw to gesture to the empty space atop the Tallrock between herself and Wildstar, the young Deputy fixed her son with an expectant stare.

"I'd rather be faced with a little bit of a chill for a season or so, as compared to living in the forest like ThunderClan or SkyClan. Could you imagine hardly ever being able to see the sky, or hiding away from the slightest change in the elements? With all that bragging they do, you'd think they would be capable of handling a bit of wind or rain- but I highly doubt it." Brindleface's brows knitted together in apparent distaste at the thought of residing in the crowded confines of the forest, a little instinctive shudder working through her frame as she sniffed dismissively.

Lionpaw offered a disgruntled mew at his mother's fussing, but his protests were halfhearted, and he allowed her to finish. Flopping over on to his side next to her, the ginger apprentice batted at Meadowgaze's dangling tail with sheathed paws as she stood to stretch, wiggling around on his back. "I couldn't imagine, either - give me an open moor over the confines of trees any day," he agreed with Brindleface, though he didn't look at the deputy as he continued the gentle onslaught of the white queen's tail.

He had inherited his mother's flowing coat, though in a ginger shade like his father. Though beneath the fluff, he was as streamlined and lanky as any other WindClanner, and excelled at chasing down rabbits.

Wildstar nodded with approval. At least he knew that his clan only wanted to live on the moors. ”The moors are the only place for me.” he said, puffing out his chest as he sat on Tallrock. ”Our bodies are faster than other clans’ so if we were trapped in the forests we’d end up running into trees.”