Shivers [o]

[Fireshine]

Flat stones pressed into fur as Fireshine huddled against the cold. Despite the towering mountains above, the wind howled as furiously as ever, making her fur stand on end and sending shivers straight through to her bones. Snow dappled the ground around her, though the only cats that seemed happy about them were the kits, leaping into them as if it wasn't freezing their tails off. Fireshine scoffed gently, memories of her own kithood returning to her in a way they hadn't in seasons. The she cat remembered the energy of her youth, more recently replaced by aching bones and sore muscles. Her eyes, dulled by her age, darted around the camp in search of any of her clanmates. The snow had driven most cats into their dens, while others had escaped to the territory surrounding their camp to make any sort of attempt to provide prey for the camp. All the while, Fireshine sat at the edge of their camp, watching as snow fluttered to the ground below, fleeing from the fat, gray clouds above.

[Whitejaw]

whitejaw purred as he stepped into camp, piercing blue eyes downcast towards the ground as he eyed the snow. his paws grew colder with every step from the ice littering the floor- it wasn't the best of things, but at least the weather wasn't the same constantly all year round. as the young warrior walked, he lifted his head upwards and his eyes were drawn towards another cat, one he hadn't seen before. he stood up straight and made his way towards them, watching as they shivered.

"hello," he greeted, sitting down as snow began to fall from the grey clouds above them- so that's where it came from. "you okay?" he asked.

[Fireshine]

Fireshine looked up slowly as the young cat approached her, noticing the muscles rippling beneath his pelt despite the harsh weather of leaf bare. "Oh, I'm afraid this weather is starting to take a toll on these old bones of mine," the senior warrior admitted sadly, "I'm just not as resilient as I used to be." The worrying truth was, Fireshine had been noticing her age more than ever now; between the treks throughout her territory and the brutality of the cold, she simply could not perform as well as she once could. She fondly thought back to her younger days, eagerly fighting and hunting along side her clanmates, and though she was still more than willing to provide for her clan, and the members within it, she realized sadly that she couldn't keep this up forever. Her orange and black tabby fur had started to lose its once youthful shine, and her pads seemed to ache more than ever now. The older warrior glanced at her younger clanmate with an envious sadness, realizing the abilities she had lost to time."But," she began again, trying to sound more enthusiastic for the sake of the young warrior, "Don't you worry your pelt off about an old bag of bones like me. I've given all I could to my clan, and I have no regrets. I wouldn't take it back for anything the ancestors could offer me." Fireshine felt a tingle on the tips of her fur that she hadn't felt for seasons, and blinked gently as a sparkle entered her eyes. Though she could not hunt and fight as well as the warriors that preceded her, she had served her clan well, and thanked the stars above that she was here and well enough to see the continuation of her clan.

[Whitejaw]

whitejaw offered a small smile as he listened to the other warrior speak in a sad tone, slowly flopping onto his stomach so he could lie down before the ground got too cold from the snow. he rested his white chin on his paws and pricked his ears to listen. he couldn't help but feel bad for the senior warrior, who's name he still did not know- he couldn't imagine what it would be like to grow old to the point where you're not as strong or resilient as before. he nodded slowly, blinking his bright eyes as she continued.

he smiled a little wider when the orange and black tabby added some enthusiasm to her voice and he grinned at the sparkle in her eyes. "i'll try not to," he joked, voice soft, "so umm... what was the clan like when you were younger?" he asked, curiously. yes, he had met other cats older than him but he had never bothered to ask what rockclan was like before he was born.

[Fireshine]

Fireshine felt her pelt tingle as she watched the young tom flop onto the ground before him, excited at the chance to relive her earlier days. "Well," the senior warrior began thoughtfully, "When I was younger, we certainly were a force to be reckoned with. That's not saying we aren't now, and I suppose we are now more than ever. Rockclan was small when I was a warrior, barely enough warriors and apprentices to keep the clan protected and fed," Fireshine described with a soft sigh, a glint of sad recollection in her eyes. She remembered all too well how difficult the leaf bare was, with what little cats they had in their clan so thin and frail, and though the other clans were affected by leaf bare, it seemed the weather was all the more brutal to her clan. "But now, as you can see, Rockclan has grown bigger and stronger than ever, with fierce warriors and eager apprentices. I'm grateful to live in such a noble clan, The old she cat purred, eyeing the young tom wistfully. Realizing that Fireshine had never even gotten the toms name, she added in with a raspy mew, "Though enough ramblings from a cat that may as well be an elder, tell me, what is your name?"

[Whitejaw]

whitejaw purred, eyes glistening with curiosity as he listened. he almost felt like a kit being told stories, a thought that made him want to laugh but he tried not to as he nodded. his black tail tip twitched with content as he replied, "really? it's difficult to imagine the best clan alive being so feeble," he stated, frowning lightly at the sadness in her eyes.

he nodded in agreement again, frown fading back into a smile. he too was grateful to be in the clan... he honestly didn't think he'd survive in one of the others. his eyes widened slightly when he was asked for his name, chuckling when he realised that he had started conversation without even introducing himself first, "oh," he smirked with a little embarrassment, "i'm whitejaw," he introduced before asking her the same wuestion, "you are?"

[Fireshine]

She gazed for a moment at the young tom in front of her, Whitejaw, as she had just learned. The older warrior purred at how fitting it was, then opened her mouth to speak, "Fireshine, at your service," She dipped her head in mock formality, twitching her ears in amusement. "Though we were small, make no mistake, we were just as strong as we are now. Are warriors, despite the few we had, had the hearts of gold and the courage of Cloudclan above. We were not frail by any sense of the word," She explained, pride making her words strong and her voice carry. Another gust of wind blasted through the camp, and she huddled down closer to the earth in an attempt to stay warm. She looked around in envy at the cats with long fur that kept them protected from the cold, and in moments like this, she had wished her own pelt was as long as theirs. Fireshine blinked back to reality, noticing that she had been caught in her own thoughts, and decided to try and fill the silence. "It's hard to believe not every clan wants to live among these stones. How boring it must be without all of the hidden places to hunt," She mused, imagining the flat land of Fireclan, the closed, crushing forests of Treeclan, and the brutal, frosty cold of Iceclan. Her pelt twitched at the thought, and she felt a sudden love and pride for her clan that she used to have seasons ago. Fireshine suddenly seemed to realize how much she adored this clan, and how she wouldn't trade any of it for anything in the world.

[Whitejaw]

whitejaw dipped his head in return, a smirk on his face as he kept his head upwards afterwards rather than resting on his paws. he tucked his paws into his chest as the now introduced fireshine continued to talk about the clan. he kind of wished he had been around during the time... just seeing a clan so small yet so strong seemed kind of impossible to him, then again, he knew that rockclan cats had always been strong. they'd have to be to live in the rocky territory.

whitejaw shivered himself when another strong gust of wind blew over them, watching as fireshine huddled up more. he slowly moved closer to her, moving his tail nearer in an attempt to at least keep her a little warmer without looking like a total creep. "i know right," he continued, "if i was in another clan, i'd beg to live here."

[Fireshine]

Fireshine purred as she felt the tom edge closer to her, and moved toward him in return. Though the weather still chilled her, she was warmed considerably by Whitejaw's own heat. The older she cat watched as cats darted between dens and as patrols came and went, attempting to stock the meager fresh kill pile. Fireshine had done her best to keep her hunger at ease, and though her stomach growled fiercely, she figured she'd be best to let the other cats eat before her. She thought about the more able bodied cats, and how they needed the prey much more than she did. "I agree," she rasped, looking at the tom with glittering eyes, "And times are tough right now, but we'll make it through, we always have."

[Whitejaw]

whitejaw smiled when fireshine moved closer to him, purring softly at the slight difference in temperature. it was of course still a little chilly, but better now. he blinked his bright eyes as the clan continued to move about around them. he would have helped them but he didn't really see the point. there wasn't much fun in going hunting when you knew you weren't going to catch anything, anyway. besides, he had brought something back before and that was good enough.

whitejaw turned his focus away from the clan and his thoughts and back onto fireshine whom was talking again with the sae glitter in her eyes as before. his smile widened, "yeah, i'm sure we will," he agreed, "s'not like we're under attack by badgers or anything... it's just a little cold."

[Fireshine]

Fireshine nodded in agreement, comforted by Whitejaw purring beside her. "Even so," she began, flicking snow off her ears, "Badgers would be nothing against us, especially with all of the fine young warriors we have." The she cat watched cats come and go, envying their strength and resilience. She had been like that once, so sure of her strength and so ready and willing to show it. "With as many warriors as we have right now, there's almost no use for an old furball like me," she mused, and though she purred through the words, there was a hint of sadness in her tone, realizing that one day soon, what she said would be true. There would come a time when she simply would not be needed, and she would have to retire to the elders den. Though the thought of spending out the rest of her days without the worries of hunting or fighting relaxed her, she dreaded the thought of not being useful to her clan. What would she do once she left the warriors den? Would her body still be strong enough to hunt and fight if she had to? To her dismay, Fireshine didn't have the answers to these questions, and she was sure that no one ever would. Though much of it would reveal itself to her over time, there may be some things she would never know.

[Whitejaw]

whitejaw nodded, grinning warmly, "it was just an example, but yeah i guess so," he said, twitching his tail tip with slight amusement.

the young warrior flicked his ear at fireshine's statement, frowning, "the clan has plenty of use for you," he continued, "even if you cant fight and hunt as well as you used to you've got more life experience and wisdom," he said, trying to lift her spirits a bit.

-short compared to my other posts but it'll do-

[Fireshine]

Fireshine purred, glancing over at Whitejaw. Her fur warmed, delighted at his amusement. Though it was an example, she knew she was right. "Example or not, you know I'm telling the truth," she musedd, flicking her tail in a sort of humor. She closed her eyes for a moment, pleased as the snow eased and the sun peeked through the clouds. The light warmed her pelt, the heat soaking down to her bones. "Maybe you're right, I've surely been around plenty of seasons to have learned something. And I suppose I always have a few decent stories for the kits," she told him, a soft hum in her voice.

[Whitejaw]

-wow i really couldn't think what to type-

whitejaw smirked at fireshine's statement, his eyes glittering as he twitched his thin tail tip. he squinted slightly as the sun poked out from behind a cloud, not expecting the sudden brightness, but he quickly adjusted to the change, beginning to stretch his legs out a little to try warm up his dark pelt.

he purred at the hum in the tabby's voice, replying, "of course i'm right," he joked, a cocky tone in his voice, "joking aside, i think everyone will always have a use, no matter what it is... you just gotta find out what it is."

[Fireshine]

(I feel. D:: )

Fireshine sat there for a moment, letting his words sink in. She wondered deep down if he meant what he said, or if he had just told her this to comfort her. Despite the doubt that made her pelt prickle, she knew he was right, the clan would always have a use for every cat. Even though she was stiffer and older than she was seasons ago, she could always find a place in her clan, whether it be as a warrior or an elder. She let the sun warm her fur as she thought about this, thinking to the other elders in the clan. It must be hard being cooped up in the clan all day, though she envied the comfort of rest after seasons of serving the clan. A part of Fireshine couldn't wait to experience the relaxation herself, and reassured herself that despite being an elder, she could still hunt and roam the territory. Suddenly, she realized she had been lost in thought and had not replied to Whitejaw, a twinge of embarrassment making her nerves spark. "They always will, yes. I suppose the elders have earned their rest, though," she mused, flicking her ears as she watched enviously at the cozy elders den.