[o]ut of the dust

[Redfoot]

As the last moments of dawn stretched out and became morning, a silky black she-cat stalked out of the Warrior's Den. It seemed that it had been ages since the Senior had seen such a beautiful morning. For once, Redfoot was in a seemingly friendly mood. Winter had never been a pleasant time of year for her, but as she grew older, it became even more unpleasant. Redfoot hated snow, she hated the cold, and she definitely hated the struggle to keep her belly full.

Redfoot looked around, suddenly aware of the lack of activity in the FireClan camp. She lazily lifted a paw to begin grooming, then sat it back down, unsatisfied.

"What a shame. A day that I actually feel like talking, and no one to talk to," she muttered.

[Stormfrost]

Stormfrost woke up later than usual, the cold seemed to make him want to sleep more and resent the fact morning came hours before he wanted it to. He felt like a lazy apprentice or 'teenage like' by not wanting to get up in the morning. It's understandable. It was cold, and cold meant hibernation for many but not for cats. This way, he actually envied the animals that hibernated. He did recall when he was little that he'd look forward to playing in snow. However, this was not to last... well, at least not on an empty stomach. He had many younger family members stemming from kids to great grandchildren so if he didn't get around to playing with them once in a while, what kind of tom would that make him, eh?

He padded outside with his fluffy grey fur encompassing him like a built on blanket. The tom looked around and spotted a she cat who seemed somewhat bored or didn't know what to do and heard her little mutter. "Well, I wouldn't say no one to talk to."

(hope you don't mind me joining)

[Redfoot]

Redfoot turned sharply, surprised that she hadn't heard the grey tom coming. Perhaps she was getting less sharp as she aged, but she would never admit that. Redfoot narrowed her eyes, briefly studying Stormfrost.

"Hmm, I suppose you're right. How are you, Stormfrost?" she asked, attempting to make polite conversation.

[Stormfrost]

Stormfrost twitched his whiskers. "I believe things are going all right. Bit cold out lately, but I suppose you'd already know that wouldn't you?" He asked rhetorically and tried to reciprocate friendly conversation. "What about you, Redfoot? I haven't really seen you out here in a while." It was true but to be honest Stormfrost wasn't the most social. Cold, old, it all added up.

[Redfoot]

Redfoot was usually equally as cold as the grey tom, it seemed that they would get along well. She laughed softly at the rhetorical question. Yes, they should definitely get along. What goes together better than two sarcastic senior warriors?

"Cold would be an understatement," she laughed softly. "I've been hiding in the Warrior's Den, but it seems I have to come out of hibernation to train apprentices."

[Stormfrost]

Stormfrost gave an understanding nod, he too was out and about lately training his apprentice, Swanpaw. He was in the process of getting her ready for her warrior ceremony, getting her out for her assessment was a must and she seemed ready along with being eager to move out of the apprentices den altogether.

"I've got an apprentice who is almost ready to become a warrior. It's to my understanding many apprentices these days act if they've got fleas in their pelts. Attitudes I can hardly manage to handle, especially when I'm being sassed by my own grandchildren. They act as if they're so experienced. I think we both know they've got plenty to learn." He noted, and twitched his whiskers.

[Redfoot]

Redfoot gave an understanding nod. She too had trained her share of snarky apprentices, but couldn't relate to the grandfather comment. She had never wanted kits, or a relationship for that matter.

"Mothpaw and Rosepaw are both pretty humble," she said. "We've only had one session, so things could still get rough, though."

[Stormfrost]

Stormfrost didn't really know how to act towards his grandchildren and he had a few past mates, or at least was the baby daddy of few kitties. Just knowing him though it seems kind of unbelievable really.

"Well that's good... I've mentioned my great grandchildren. I've trained a few of them and to be honest they take on after my daughter somehow. The sass in this family does not run out. What about you?" He asked and wasn't exactly sure what he was asking. Did she have a sassy family or a family in general? He knew some cats preferred not to get messed up in all the relationship drama. Whatever floats their boat. He just hoped he hadn't struck a chord with her.

[Redfoot]

"Ah, none of those for me. I have a sister, but she disappeared moons ago. I wasn't born in FireClan. No kits from me," she said with a small laugh. She hoped that Stormfrost knew the question hadn't offended her. When she was very young, she was obsessed with the idea of a family. It just never seemed to work out.

If Redfoot had better known Stormfrost, she might joke about his grandchildren inheriting their sass from him. It didn't seem like quite the time. Redfoot was a little surprised that the tom had grandchildren, it didn't seem like he was old enough. She tilted her head at this thought.

"Would I happen to know any of your kin?" she asked with a small smile.

[Stormfrost]

Stormfrost gave a nod, understanding her point of view. "To be honest, I most likely wouldn't have any more kits. Probably not even a mate I suppose. Unless I find someone okay to grow old with."

He thought for a moment about any of his family that she might know. "There's Amberflash, my eldest daughter. She has several kits like Hazelclaw for example. Her grandchildren would include: Hazelblaze, Frostedsky, Almondfire and Stormsong. Those are the only ones that have made it to warriorhood. The others are either kits or apprentices."

[Redfoot]

"That's understandable. And I recognize the name Hazelclaw," she said. Redfoot wanted to laugh at the proposal of Stormfrost not having another mate. The she-cats always seemed to go wild when there was a single, good looking tom out there.

"It seems like you're very proud of your family, I don't blame you," the black she-cat mewed softly.

[Stormfrost]

Stormfrost wasn't necessarily the talk of the town. Sure a few she kitties in the past enjoyed his companionship but after all of that, he was single. It's not like he tried to be, regardless of what it may seem like, but he was. "I try to be as I feel they deserve it. They are my family, most of which is in FireClan as of right now-" He realized what he said and stared wide-eyed ahead of him. He didn't exactly know what Redfoot would think of that... He had kits in another clan.

[Redfoot]

Redfoot raised her kitty-brows and tilted to her head to the side. For a brief moment, she contemplated a response to Stormfrost's accidental sharing. She shrugged, it wasn't her place to judge. Stormfrost seemed like a good tom, and had served his Clan.

"Oh, I see. It's always good to have family. I sometimes wonder what life would be like if I took a different path," she said, avoiding the implication that her new friend had kits outside of FireClan. Really, she didn't mind. Her own father had been a DeathClan cat, she had no room to judge Stormfrost.

[Stormfrost]

Stormfrost was grateful she decided not to mention anything about his slip up. But at her mention of if she took a different path made him think. "Well... there's no saying you couldn't still meet someone you don't mind being with..." He didn't want to be too bold about the statement but it was true. She wasn't old enough to move to the elders den yet even.

[Redfoot]

(sorry for the late reply, I've been away on spring break and not had much computer time.)

Redfoot tilted her head. She really hadn't thought about having a mate in years, it just had seemed that all the potential toms were so much younger than she was. It's not that she was ancient or anything, she had just stopped looking.

"Hmmm... I guess. Maybe I just haven't found the right one yet," she said with a shrug and a small laugh.