"I heard that Frecklestar even dug Honeypool her own private cave for the two of them to sleep! Imagine having your leader make you a den with their own paws...I think that den is still somewhere near the edge of the territory, if you ever wanted to send a patrol to find it."
"Mmhm..."
Hailthrush gets their tail mangled by a strange fox.
Eggkit asks Blizzardpaw where kits come from.
Mothgrowl feels a presence join her.
Mothgrowl had always loved Newleaf. The long-awaited sound of birds singing and the warmth of sunlight on her fur always calmed her nerves, as if the world was coming back to life after a cold, dead winter.
She raised her head and took a deep breath, letting the smell of blooming flowers, fresh green leaves, and the distant trail of passing squirrels and rabbits wash over her senses. She always liked to take her first official patrol of Newleaf alone, to soak in each moment at her own pace and get away from the weight of her responsibilities, even if just for a moment. Of course, her clan came before her relaxation, but what was the harm in enjoying the day when she wasn't needed?
She exhaled slowly, gently, purring softly as she shook herself a bit and scanned her surroundings. She'd already looked around the sparsely wooded patch closer to camp and didn't find anything to harvest just yet-she knew the importance of letting herbs grow a bit this time of year all too well. A search of the denser foliage wouldn't hurt, especially since most predators would still be in their dens at this hour.
It was only a few tail-lengths into the thick forest when something caught her eye, her tail flicking curiously as she padded across the fallen leaves. A small sprout poked out from a spot between two trees, lighter green than the grass around it. Mothgrowl leaned down, carefully cupping it with one paw to sniff at it.
Hm...maybe an elder bush? That could prove very helpful once it was grown, her stock was beginning to run low...
She glanced up.
The Shadow stood tall, motionless, as rigid as the trees around it. Its drooping, pale eyes bore into her from every angle, leaving nowhere safe from its gaze, no respite from its presence. Its form wavered and flickered, like a misty, half forgotten memory, though the grass bent under its paws the same as any other living cat.
Mothgrowl raised her head, fur standing on end and legs locked firmly in place. It didn't look too threatening, it at least almost had the normal proportions of a cat this time, but she knew better than to lower her guard.
"...It's been a few moons since one of you has shown up." she mumbled, half to herself, never once taking her eyes off of the half-formed being. She'd almost forgotten she could see them, it had been so long. Maybe this was a punishment, a reminder that she could never escape the role she was dragged into. At least, that's how it felt sometimes.
"...Well?" Mothgrowl huffed, forcing her voice to remain steady. "Do you have anything to say? Or can I go back to my clan now?"
The shadow said nothing.
Something moved through the trees behind it. A distant roar began building, overtaking the sounds of the forest in an instant.
The tidal wave thundered through the forest, engulfing everything in sight. The shadow was swallowed in a sea of white froth.
Mothgrowl braced herself.
...The water was gone.
The birds sang. The dry grass rippled in the gentle breeze. The warm sunlight glazed over her back. Yet she shivered with a sudden chill.
The elder leaf at her paws dipped slightly, letting a single droplet fall to the dirt.
