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Post by Wolfmist on Mar 2, 2016 23:23:52 GMT -6
Wolfmist wandered through the barren mountains that marked IceClan's territory as unique. Her paws sunk slightly into the snow with each step she took, leaving heavy prints in the otherwise untouched perfection. Soon, clumps of ice gathered between her toes, leaving them raw and painful, but she ignored the feeling as she trekked on. The tabby she-cat wasn't even completely sure as to why she was out there—alone, with nothing to do. She didn't have an apprentice, nor had she been appointed to any patrols. Perhaps her original thought had been to get out for once in a long time, to get exercise, stay in shape. She was still young, compared to some, but she continued to find herself with nothing to do. Besides, she hadn't seen Lionsmoke for a long time, and he had been who kept her attention for the most part. All of her old friends were dead or had disappeared, and she wasn't too keen on making new ones. Change had never appealed to the aging female. Perhaps her her mate had gone of looking for Jaypaw again, as he seemed to do periodically. He never wanted her to tag along, for whatever reason, no matter how lonely she was while he was away. She frowned. Ivycloud
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Post by Ivycloud on Mar 3, 2016 18:04:25 GMT -6
it was a stupid idea, coming out here. ivycloud has never been one to particularly handle the snow well- an irony, living in no place other than iceclan. something about the way snow clung to fur and left you wet and shivering never truly settled right in the she cat. so yes, coming out here was a completely stupid idea.
though once upon a moon the former queen never once set foot outside her very camp, it had recently become a routine to slip out in to the territory and wander alone for various hours on end. the silence being the only thing that arguably kept her sanity. after so many years of being stuck up in a crowded nursery, tending to endless hoards of kits, ivycloud had become appreciative of the alone-time wandering out here had to offer. even if it did mean growing so cold she felt as if she where going to drop dead right there and then.
it could be worse, she figured, knowing that the snow now wasn't as deep or as cold as it could be, but the knowledge did not make her feel all that better. she sighed with each step, trudging her paws slowly through the white slush and ruining it's glistening perfection.
she honestly hadn't a clue where she was going now, realizing she had dared to walk much further from the camp than she was generally comfortable with. of all the years she's spent with iceclan, the she-cat hardly knew her own territory. ivy came to a halt, perking her ears and taking a moment to observe the scenery around her. if she where being honest, it was beautiful- life out here in the clans. at least, when you weren't being piled with orders and codes and duties. though she was fortunate, she knew, for having strayed from the line of becoming a warrior, everything around her still seemed just far too chaotic.
that's when the silence was broken. an almost inaudible shuffling sound ripped ivycloud from her thoughts, brining her to turn her head quickly to a figure before her. her heart quickened momentarily, but soon enough she focused in on the familiar scent of iceclan and let herself calm down to the sight of she she-cat before her. ivy blinked, looking the female up and down, wondering if she should, albeit unwillingly, say hello, or just keep on moving.
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Post by Wolfmist on Mar 3, 2016 20:20:57 GMT -6
If Wolfmist's fur hadn't been so thick, she wouldn't have been outside in the snow. But it was, and she was able to hide from the worst of the wind underneath it. However, the snow that was gathering uncomfortably between her toes was another issue. But, much to her relief, as she continued to walk, the snow began to thin and she could feel the springy heather that had been beaten down by snow. To feel solid ground again was much more comfortable than seemingly bottomless snow, and a soft breath escaped her jaws. She had nothing against snow, until it was deep enough that she sunk up to her elbows (?) and slowed down her pace enough for it to feel as if she was walking in slow motion.
Near the FireClan border, which is where she had ended up, the river flowed more freely without an icy covering. She hesitated—if the ice had melted so recently, that would mean that the fish would still be thawing and, due to that, sluggish. An easy catch. And, that way, she'd have something to bring back, something to contribute after what she'd done for the past moon—which was, essentially, nothing at all.
With her mind set, the tabby warrior changed direction and veered towards the rocky bank that disappeared mysteriously into the depths of the river. The little river stones shifted awkwardly under her paws, freezing to the touch, causing her to spread her claws cautiously. Obviously, this attempt at gaining her balance failed, but she managed to make her way, albeit not too gracefully, to the waters edge. Her reflection appeared on the silvery surface, contorted and strange looking, but the colorful splashes of fish were nowhere in sight. Wolfmist stood there for a moment, thinking as the sounds of the river drowned out all thoughts of the present. She wondered where Falconwing and Crimsonsky were at that moment—the thought saddened her.
She could barely hear the soft crunching of snow under paws over the roaring of the river, but her well-tuned ears picked it up, if just barely. She turned, a look of exasperation on her face. Being interrupted was definitely not her favorite. The female that stood a few fox-lengths away, who seemed to be watching her, looked familiar, but the tabby wasn't completely sure why. "Who're you?" She grunted, pricking her ears for a response.
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Post by Ivycloud on Mar 3, 2016 21:53:23 GMT -6
"honestly? is that how you talk to others? not even a simple hello?"
of all the things ivycloud had expected to be said, this certainly wasn't it. her full attention was on the she-cat before her, eyes locked and slowly falling in to a glare. all common sense in her head told her to just ignore it. turn tail and walk away, because first off she didn't want to be around anyone in the first place, and secondly, she certainly did not want to be around someone like this. though her stance remained, and in a quick motion, ivy sat down, wrapped her tail around her paws, a tiny smirk playing on her face.
"goodness, dear, did your mother never teach you any manners?"
and this was it. this was ivy's speciality: patronizing every cat she ever came face-to-face with. it was no wonder it was seldom she ever opted to speak to anyone.
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Post by Wolfmist on Mar 3, 2016 22:17:44 GMT -6
Wolfmist huffed, the puff of breath sending a cloud of mist into the frost air. Perhaps when she was younger she would have been nicer—kind, even. But it seemed that, with age, she'd gained a grumpy outlook on life. "No," she snorted, ears flicking as Ivycloud continued to speak. "Only those who I turn around to find watching me." She tilted her head, trying to figure out why the she-cat seemed so familiar. It wasn't so much her appearance, but her voice that was familiar to the warrior.
"And is that how you greet others?" She inquired curiously, a small, amused smile replacing her scowl. Perhaps being alone for so long had made her even more bitter—or perhaps she'd simply taken after her mother. The tabby remained standing, her pure stubbornness helping her to ignore the painful feeling of rocks jutting into her pads and the icy cold that crept up her legs.
"Not any that I care to express at the moment." In reality, her mother didn't teach her anything. In fact, her mother did nothing with her whatsoever. She'd never spoken to Ivycloud, nor did she know what she looked like. When Wolfmist was younger, she liked to imagine that Ivycloud had been kind and caring, and she had a decent reason to ditch Wolf. As she'd aged, she'd realized how childish this was—Ivycloud simply didn't care. "So, do you have a name?"
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Post by Ivycloud on Mar 3, 2016 22:53:03 GMT -6
ivycloud sighed, having already become exhausted with this entire encounter. there was once a time in her life where every word that passed her lips was nothing but a futile attempt at being the perfect queen, gentle and loving- though as the years passed on and ivy grew older, so did her temper.
"i have better things to do than watch you, dearest. you just so happened to have been in the same place at the same time. mind your attitude."
her words where slow and soft, but the bitterness was evident even then.
it bemused ivy that the female before her didn't even recognize her, despite having been such a prominent face in the nursery for so many moons. ivycloud quirked her ears, nothing the she-cats age. she couldn't be too old- just old enough to have been a kit around the same time ivy had been a queen. if shadeforst or rosedapple had still been around, she would have tutted them for their poor attempts at raising their kid- assuming, of course, this child was one of theirs.
"ivycloud."
ivy muttered, completely deadpan.
"my name is ivycloud. i would say it's a pleasure to meet you, but.. it's really not."
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Post by Wolfmist on Mar 5, 2016 1:05:25 GMT -6
Wolfmist muttered under her breath in exasperation, deciding not to reply directly. So, instead, the female resorted to thinking rude thoughts about the warrior in front of her silently. As insults ran through her head, she smiled a little, almost tempted to say them aloud. The she-cat padded closer, more careful to balance correctly on the shifty river rocks that time around. She definitely would not fall lest she damage her pride. She walked smoothly once more when she reached flat land, though her rough pads were met by the icy feeling of snow.
She stood closer to the spotted female, waiting impatiently for an answer. Honestly, how long did it take one to say their name? Perhaps Ivy just wasn't bright—or perhaps she was beginning to forget things with her old age. She did look old, much older than Wolfmist herself. I'm sure it's both. She's stupid and old.
The tabby she-cat was strangely bitter on that morning. It could have been because the weather, or because of her long bout of loneliness. Either way, she was more ruthless than normally.
Ivycloud. That meant that the cat before her was her mother. Her eyes narrowed as the name was spoken, an inaudible growl rumbling in her chest. Ivycloud was her mother, who hadn't been there her entire life. Wolfmist didn't even know what she looked like, much less what she acted like. And honestly, she'd expected more. She'd expected a normal mother, not someone like this. It was utterly disappointing and only fueled her anger towards the she-cat.
"You've gotten old." She said, raising her chin. The long-legged warrior watched her mother with icy eyes. "Wolfmist." She had to admit, she held on to a little hope that Ivycloud would recognize the name. But the rest of her knew that it would never be true—she doubted Ivycloud was even the one to name her.
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Post by Ivycloud on Mar 5, 2016 1:39:28 GMT -6
the closing distance was making ivy uncomfortable, and it took everything within her not to flinch backwards. if she where being honest with herself, she wanted to dart. get the hell fight me fye out of here and avoid whatever this conversation was as a whole. but ivycloud was just far too prideful to back down, especially from confrontation like this. even if she did just want to be alone.
"why yes, darling. i'm afraid that's what happens as the years go by. you get old and then you die. it's inevitable."
ivy mused, voice low and forcefully calm- just to add an irritating factor.
the name didn't ring any bells to ivycloud, though not many names within the clan would. sure she raised many and watched them grow, and you love them for as long as possible, but with so many tiny mouths to care for, for so long, the names just all begin to blurr together. over time, things just get clouded, and you're forced from one hungry kit to the other- even if they weren't your own to nurse. ivy thanks whatever higher being up there that she doesn't believe in that she is no longer a queen.
"you say i've gotten old- meaning you know me? not to say i'm surprised. at your age, i'm sure you where a little one in my care at some point in time."
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Post by Wolfmist on Mar 5, 2016 2:29:08 GMT -6
Wolfmist snorted, a small smirk playing on her face. "I'm just surprised to see how old you've come to look over the span of so few years," she responded in a polite tone, her tail flicking slowly back and forth. Though she hadn't actually seen Ivycloud as a kitten, she had assumed she was roughly the same age as the other queens. The two resembled each other slightly—anyone could see it from afar. The same blue eyes, and same height, body shape. And Wolfmist hated that. She wanted nothing to do with her mother—no, not her mother. Ivycloud. She was not related to her.
When the tabby warrior spoke her name, no look of recognition passed over Ivycloud's face. Figures. Really, Wolfmist hadn't expected much from her birth mother. But that didn't mean she didn't blame her, or hate her with a burning passion. She fumed, her eyes fiery, though her face remained calm and collected.
"Under your care?" She laughed at that. "Your care didn't exist, mother. Shadefrost and Rosedapple—theirs did."
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Post by Ivycloud on Mar 5, 2016 3:13:54 GMT -6
mother?
when ivycloud came to iceclan, she was useless. she was a frail cat, with a small, slim frame, and anxious personality. at the age she was, and state she was in, it was evident to every cat around her that she would never amount to much. she'd only ever be able to catch the smallest of prey and could be easily taken out with the tiniest of blow. they had never so much as tried training her- instead naming her a burden and just one more mouth to feed.
and so she always assumed she'd be given away as a queen. knowing she couldn't live off a clan without putting in the work in return. the truth was, ivycloud was never fond of kits. they where far too loud and complained for too much, and ivy would have preferred to live out her days without having to worry of the hundreds of tiny bodies to tend to. she loved them- of course she loved them, as they where hers, but something always felt like it was missing. maybe her heart just wasn't wide enough.
ivy's eyes raked over the female before her, her stomach now aching with slight guilt. she searched her memory for a wolfkit, trying her hardest to imagine a tiny tabby scrap with striking blue eyes. but no kit came to mind. sure, her name was familiar, but what name wasn't? kits passed in and out every day. to remember them all, impossible.
the guilt sank away as the she-cat spoke, her voice nothing but cold. and ivy held in a scowl.
"shadefrost, rosedapple, and i worked as a joint unit. i tended to their kits and i tended to mine. it's how the nursery has always worked. i watch as all my children grow, but there are more important things in this clan than a mother's affection."
she regretted her words instantly, though held too much pride to take them back.
ivycloud had never known her mother. she had abandoned them the moment they where born- left alone to fend with a frightened father who only ended up leaving them, and two other tiny scraps of fur she called her brothers. ivycloud understood what it was like to grow up without a mother. she understood what it was like to grow up bitter.
but this cat before her, wolfmist, knew nothing about loss. she was tended to by an entire nursery, loved, even. she grew up in a clan with never-ending support and the constant reassurance that she would never be left behind. ivy never once had that. ivycloud wanted to scream.
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