“Well we’d better gather them now before leaf-bare sets in!” Minnowtail called. “Aren’t the stems already dead?” Raven asked with a tip of her head. “Not all of them.” Minnowtail answered. “Some will have been sheltered from the first frost by the ones that *did* die.” Ivypool watched as the two she-cats headed to the herb dense areas of the Willow Grove. Apricot slid out of his and Icewing’s den. She'd finally gotten a nest-mate. Since Ratscar had decided to sleep on the floor of Ivypool and Whiskernose's den. “Morning Apricot!” She called. He blinked at her. “Yes it is the morning. Why?” *Nevermind*. She shook out her pelt. “Oh no reason, just uh. . . Trying to be polite.” Apricot snorted. “What does telling me that it's the morning have to do with politeness?” he trotted off. Ivypool turned back to the foraging patrol. Blossomfall had joined them. Minnowtail paused. “I uh. . . don't know how I'm supposed to find these. . .” she admitted awkwardly. Raven shifted her paws. “Oh maybe we should. . . uh dig?” she suggested. “Dig what?” Blossomfall asked. “I don't know!” Raven tapped her claws on the snowy ground. “What are they doing?” Ivypool turned, spotting Darktail standing a few fox-lengths off, watching through half narrowed eyes. “Minnowtail asked Raven to help her gather herbs, and Blossomfall joined them.” Darktail sat down beside Ivypool. “So you still act like a clan? Like you have a medicine cat.” he clarified. “I mean, I guess. Having a group is hardly unique to the clans.” Ivypool reasoned. Darktail shrugged. “Yeah-yeah whatever.” Ivypool watched as Blossomfall kicked up snow, and it showered over Raven. “So what happened in your old group, if you don't mind me asking.” Ivypool wondered if Darktail was only acting so suspicious because he was scared of them. Rain seemed pretty jumpy, too. Raven spun around, fluffing out her pelt. Darktail’s eyes shimmered with panic for a second so brief, Ivypool wondered if she’d imagined it. “Well it started when my friend died. He got sick with green-cough a few leaf-bares ago. . . the group didn’t want to treat him. . . h-he died. . ." His gaze darkened with grief. From the corner of her eye, Ivypool saw Raven tackle Blossomfall. “Oh I'm sorry.” Ivypool told him sympathetically. Darktail shook his head sadly. “Then. . . Raven’s real family joined the group. They were the worst and always caused problems. We got sick of dealing with them after a while.” his former grief had disappeared like morning dew. Blossomfall threw Raven off her and dived onto the black she-cat. Raven swiped snow up at Blossomfall. “I shall not be challenged by *snow*!” she yowled. “If you don't mind me asking, how’d you even end up there?” Ivypool tipped her head. Darktail’s eyes burned with a deep, unfiltered anger. “It started when my father rejected my mother after she’d requested to join his *clan*. Yes, my father is a clan cat. Imagine that. Well, on the way home, my mother ended up giving birth, but without help, all my littermates *died*. All four of them. Then my mother was killed by four rogues. . .” he trailed off, eyes darkening with horror, as though he hadn’t meant to reveal any or most of what he’d just said. He dug his claws into the ground and sat rigidly. Ivypool looked back at Blossomfall and Raven, seeing they were engaged in a snow-fight. Minnowtail watched them, balled up some snow, and then kicked it at Raven. Raven squealed like an excited kit and threw snow back. Blossomfall leaped onto Raven, the black she-cat twisted in a way that sent both of them tumbling across the small clearing. When they broke apart, Raven sat up, laughing at an obnoxious volume. Darktail watched, expression soft. “I’ve never seen her look so happy. . .” he murmured to himself. Blossomfall pounced on Raven again, Raven batted her away and fell over. “Fear me! I am Raven! I have eaten dogs!” Blossomfall snorted. “Why are you eating dogs? You fluffing weirdo!” Raven rolled onto her back. “Dog is tasty. Yum yum.” “Psychotic behavior.” Blossomfall nudged Raven playfully. *Huh. . . Did not expect to see Blossomfall acting so friendly.* “Why do you always stare at Blossomfall?” Ivypool jumped. “Ah!” She scrambled away. She'd almost forgotten Darktail was there, and he'd been hovering over her. “Why are you asking?” “Cause.” He answered. *What a strange cat. . .*
“Hey Ivypool, wanna try your paw at swimming again?” Pebblefoot called to her. Ivypool wanted to say yes in order to spend time with her friend. But she also knew she just wasn't prepared to just yet. Breezepelt trotted past her. “Ya know Ivypool, maybe if you'd keep your promise to Blossomfall, she'd wanna be your mate.” Ivypool scoffed. “Are you trying to give me relationship advice?” “No.” Breezepelt answered with a lash of his tail. Darktail stopped beside Ivypool. He'd been following Breezepelt, as the two had gone on a hunting patrol that afternoon. “Is Breezepelt your friend?” He asked as the black tom headed over to Heathertail. Ivypool blinked at Darktail in surprise. “No.” She considered Darktail more of a friend than *Breezepelt*. Even if she still had lingering suspicions towards the black and white tom. He wasn't nearly as irritating as Breezepelt. “Oh. . . I mean, he's much nicer to you than a lot of the other cats. . .” Darktail scuffed the ground, seeming to silently curse himself. Ivypool chuckled. “Yeah he is, but that really doesn't mean much.” She had accepted a while ago that she and Breezepelt were just neutral with each other. She didn't like him, he didn't like her. But they still bantered once in a blue moon. Darktail nodded. “True. I kinda like him. He was nice while we hunted.” he seemed to be gauging her reaction. “Eh. Good for you.” She was pleased he'd finally started getting along with someone in the group, even if it was only Breezepelt. Darktail licked his chest. “So Ivypool, wanna be on guard duty with me tonight?” Ivypool smiled. “Sure!”
Note: Darktail’s story about his dead friend is different from the one told in Hawkwing’s Journey on purpose.
★ Lilli Thelightshadow ★
Dark Forest Trainees AU part 11
Ivypool's POV:
“Well we’d better gather them now before leaf-bare sets in!” Minnowtail called.
“Aren’t the stems already dead?” Raven asked with a tip of her head.
“Not all of them.” Minnowtail answered. “Some will have been sheltered from the first frost by the ones that *did* die.”
Ivypool watched as the two she-cats headed to the herb dense areas of the Willow Grove.
Apricot slid out of his and Icewing’s den. She'd finally gotten a nest-mate. Since Ratscar had decided to sleep on the floor of Ivypool and Whiskernose's den.
“Morning Apricot!” She called.
He blinked at her. “Yes it is the morning. Why?”
*Nevermind*. She shook out her pelt. “Oh no reason, just uh. . . Trying to be polite.”
Apricot snorted. “What does telling me that it's the morning have to do with politeness?” he trotted off.
Ivypool turned back to the foraging patrol. Blossomfall had joined them. Minnowtail paused. “I uh. . . don't know how I'm supposed to find these. . .” she admitted awkwardly.
Raven shifted her paws. “Oh maybe we should. . . uh dig?” she suggested.
“Dig what?” Blossomfall asked.
“I don't know!” Raven tapped her claws on the snowy ground.
“What are they doing?”
Ivypool turned, spotting Darktail standing a few fox-lengths off, watching through half narrowed eyes. “Minnowtail asked Raven to help her gather herbs, and Blossomfall joined them.”
Darktail sat down beside Ivypool. “So you still act like a clan? Like you have a medicine cat.” he clarified.
“I mean, I guess. Having a group is hardly unique to the clans.” Ivypool reasoned.
Darktail shrugged. “Yeah-yeah whatever.”
Ivypool watched as Blossomfall kicked up snow, and it showered over Raven.
“So what happened in your old group, if you don't mind me asking.” Ivypool wondered if Darktail was only acting so suspicious because he was scared of them. Rain seemed pretty jumpy, too.
Raven spun around, fluffing out her pelt.
Darktail’s eyes shimmered with panic for a second so brief, Ivypool wondered if she’d imagined it. “Well it started when my friend died. He got sick with green-cough a few leaf-bares ago. . . the group didn’t want to treat him. . . h-he died. . ." His gaze darkened with grief.
From the corner of her eye, Ivypool saw Raven tackle Blossomfall.
“Oh I'm sorry.” Ivypool told him sympathetically.
Darktail shook his head sadly. “Then. . . Raven’s real family joined the group. They were the worst and always caused problems. We got sick of dealing with them after a while.” his former grief had disappeared like morning dew.
Blossomfall threw Raven off her and dived onto the black she-cat. Raven swiped snow up at Blossomfall. “I shall not be challenged by *snow*!” she yowled.
“If you don't mind me asking, how’d you even end up there?” Ivypool tipped her head.
Darktail’s eyes burned with a deep, unfiltered anger. “It started when my father rejected my mother after she’d requested to join his *clan*. Yes, my father is a clan cat. Imagine that. Well, on the way home, my mother ended up giving birth, but without help, all my littermates *died*. All four of them. Then my mother was killed by four rogues. . .” he trailed off, eyes darkening with horror, as though he hadn’t meant to reveal any or most of what he’d just said. He dug his claws into the ground and sat rigidly.
Ivypool looked back at Blossomfall and Raven, seeing they were engaged in a snow-fight. Minnowtail watched them, balled up some snow, and then kicked it at Raven.
Raven squealed like an excited kit and threw snow back.
Blossomfall leaped onto Raven, the black she-cat twisted in a way that sent both of them tumbling across the small clearing. When they broke apart, Raven sat up, laughing at an obnoxious volume.
Darktail watched, expression soft. “I’ve never seen her look so happy. . .” he murmured to himself.
Blossomfall pounced on Raven again, Raven batted her away and fell over. “Fear me! I am Raven! I have eaten dogs!”
Blossomfall snorted. “Why are you eating dogs? You fluffing weirdo!”
Raven rolled onto her back. “Dog is tasty. Yum yum.”
“Psychotic behavior.” Blossomfall nudged Raven playfully.
*Huh. . . Did not expect to see Blossomfall acting so friendly.*
“Why do you always stare at Blossomfall?”
Ivypool jumped. “Ah!” She scrambled away. She'd almost forgotten Darktail was there, and he'd been hovering over her. “Why are you asking?”
“Cause.” He answered.
*What a strange cat. . .*
“Hey Ivypool, wanna try your paw at swimming again?” Pebblefoot called to her.
Ivypool wanted to say yes in order to spend time with her friend. But she also knew she just wasn't prepared to just yet.
Breezepelt trotted past her. “Ya know Ivypool, maybe if you'd keep your promise to Blossomfall, she'd wanna be your mate.”
Ivypool scoffed. “Are you trying to give me relationship advice?”
“No.” Breezepelt answered with a lash of his tail.
Darktail stopped beside Ivypool. He'd been following Breezepelt, as the two had gone on a hunting patrol that afternoon. “Is Breezepelt your friend?” He asked as the black tom headed over to Heathertail.
Ivypool blinked at Darktail in surprise. “No.” She considered Darktail more of a friend than *Breezepelt*. Even if she still had lingering suspicions towards the black and white tom. He wasn't nearly as irritating as Breezepelt.
“Oh. . . I mean, he's much nicer to you than a lot of the other cats. . .” Darktail scuffed the ground, seeming to silently curse himself.
Ivypool chuckled. “Yeah he is, but that really doesn't mean much.” She had accepted a while ago that she and Breezepelt were just neutral with each other. She didn't like him, he didn't like her. But they still bantered once in a blue moon.
Darktail nodded. “True. I kinda like him. He was nice while we hunted.” he seemed to be gauging her reaction.
“Eh. Good for you.” She was pleased he'd finally started getting along with someone in the group, even if it was only Breezepelt.
Darktail licked his chest. “So Ivypool, wanna be on guard duty with me tonight?”
Ivypool smiled. “Sure!”
Note: Darktail’s story about his dead friend is different from the one told in Hawkwing’s Journey on purpose.
3 days ago | [YT] | 14