BRING ME TO LIFE -OPEN-

[Mintcloud]

She was hot. It seemed as if all of the sun itself were beating down on the lone elder within the elder's den, and Mintcloud wasn't one who enjoyed basking. She liked when it was cool, with a breeze. Her nest felt itchy, her legs felt achy, and she felt old. Old as dirt, some might say. Mintcloud huffed and shifted her weight a few times, attempting to remain calm and not lose her temper, though she wasn't sure why she thought simply shifting her weight in the scratchy nest would do her any good. Where was that young warrior? What was her name? Carpfeather? No, no, that wasn't right. Crookedwing! The one who babbled on and on, but who knew just how Mintcloud liked her nest and always brought her the freshest fresh-kill. Yes, Mintcloud could learn to like that she-cat. Probably. Not if she was going to start ditching her duties, though. Mintcloud was certain she was supposed to be here now, fixing her nest and bringing her food. Had she not served WindClan for over a hundred moons? Did she not deserve to have a little peace?

Well, if this was supposed to be the easy days, Mintcloud was not a fan of them. She ached to run across the open hills of her territory again. To catch a rabbit and feel the warm blood on her tongue. She wanted nothing more than to be young again. A warrior. Fighting for her Clan. Grunting, Mintcloud got to her paws, her movements stiff due to a body that was simply too worn-down. She was getting too old. 'Bet StarClan has just forgotten about old Mintcloud.' She thought grumpily, a glower on her face (as it usually was), as she moved slowly out into the camp clearing. 'I'll probably outlive Dewstar. And then one day they'll send that old traitor to come get me, all sorry and blubbery about forgetting.' Huffing, the black and white elder made her way towards the fresh-kill pile. 'And I'll tell them to get lost!' A small curve to her muzzle appeared, but almost immediately slid back into an unhappy line as she realized that the evening patrol had yet to return, and that the fresh-kill, while nowhere near crow-food, was not fresh. And it had been baking in the sun.

"That won't do." The she-cat grumbled, glancing around the camp. She didn't immediately spot anyone, though perhaps her eye-sight was failing, so she turned towards the camp entrance and started making her way towards it. She would just have to go catch her own food - yes, she'd have to show these young cats and apparently her own leader what kind of food old warriors like her deserved. That was just what she'd have to do. Maybe it would do them good, to worry about where she'd gone off to. "If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself, apparently." She sighed.

but you still have all of me

TAGS | Mint's 1000% done with being an elder

[Deleted]

there was little the she-cat hated more than turning up empty-pawed. after several failed attempts, the seasoned warrior found herself slinking back to camp with her tail drooping and her mood even more so. nothing got her tail in a twist more so than failure, and it was something that she had never taken well. her companions had fared far better than she had, adding insult to injury - not to mention most of them were more than half her age. she had never really considered herself old, knowing full well that she had many more moons to serve her clan before retiring, but today, she felt it. felt the bone weariness that came from doing too much, for too many moons. or maybe it was simply her mind playing tricks on her. the latter was most likely the culprit. 

asterfang breathed a heavy sigh as she watched her patrol mates slip into the camp ahead of her. her stomach flipped uncomfortably at the thought of walking in with nothing to show for her effort, and with the way her luck was today, the camp would be swarming. just do it. no one will even notice you. get over yourself, you're not that special. chastising herself, the lithe pale tabby flicked her whiskers and purposefully put one paw in front of the other, brushing past the entrance, trying to appear far more confident than she felt. her fears were unfounded, she realized as her green eyes met no ones; the only cats that seemed to be around was the patrol she had returned with, and the ever present storm cloud that was mintcloud. asterfang stifled a groan. the black and white elder was thorn in her side, though they interacted very little. not many things kept the she-warrior down for long, but mintcloud had an uncanny way of draining the happiness from someone. but, she was still an elder, and had been an elder when heronstep was a resident, so by association, she deserved respect. the thought would always leave a bitter taste in her mouth. 

"good evenin', mintcloud!" asterfang mewed cheerfully, half-smiling at the elder, the attempt at a full smile faltering at the scowl that seemed more prominent than usual today. should've kept your mouth shut, mousebrain! in retrospect, a smile and nod would have been sufficient to avoid conversation, and had she been a creature of stronger character, she'd have walked away. alas, "heading out for a stroll? you should grab something to eat first, the heats' gonna tire you out!" stop talking. the she-cats tail flicked behind her as she continued to stare at mindcloud for far longer than was socially acceptable. then the horror. had the elder noticed that she came back from a hunting patrol with nothing? now asterfang really wished she had kept her mouth shut. 

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tags: bunny /Mintcloud
comments: hope you don't mind 

[Mintcloud]

She was almost to the entrance when a pale ginger she-cat appeared before her, and Mintcloud immediately bristled with agitation. All she wanted was to go on a hunt, but here she was, being bothered once more by a too-cheerful voice. It all seemed rather forced to Mintcloud, and the old black and white elder narrowed her already glaring gaze at the young warrior.

"heading out for a stroll? you should grab something to eat first, the heats' gonna tire you out!"

Mintcloud let out a gruff groan, her pelt itching under the intense, unwelcome stare of the warrior. "Well, that sounds just wonderful, Asterfang." Mintcloud grumbled, her tone almost neutral. "But I'm afraid the fresh-kill pile is little more than crowfood." There was a growing edge to her words, as her sharp, aggravated gaze flicked over the young she-cat's body. "It seems to me our warriors might need to wait a while longer before receiving their warrior names, at least until they can return with prey, in Newleaf." The old crone snapped finally, tail lashing in annoyance. "I've been a member of this Clan for many moons, kit, and if I want to go for a walk and catch my own food, I will. Sun or no." Mintcloud grumbled, "Why don't you make yourself useful and get back out there, and come back only when you've found some food for the less able?"

For a moment, the elder felt a bit guilty. It was clear to her that Asterfang was a hard worker, but coddling her and telling her it was alright to come back to camp empty-pawed would not benefit anyone, and especially not the young ginger before her. It wouldn't do if WindClan's warriors weren't catching food in a season when food was plenty. Casting another bothered glare at the young warrior, Mintcloud shouldered past her, feeling as if she should hear her bones creaking. "In fact, you can join me. Maybe we can figure out what you're doing wrong." The old she-cat hissed over her shoulder, trodding out of camp at a slow pace. She wandered out into the territory, ears perked and nose tilted into the wind, trying to find rabbit scent. Flexing her claws into the earth, Mintcloud glanced over her shoulder, looking expectantly at the young warrior.

"Where is it you were hunting?" The she-cat questioned, flicking her tail impatiently. She felt like every day another of her senses were dulling. How long before she could do no more than lie there while her body gave out on her? What hurt the most was that she felt her mind was still sharp. She felt like a young warrior, at heart. But her body was failing her. She could feel the weariness, the ache, in her bones that told her as much. "The prey will be scarce there, so we should look elsewhere." Mintcloud added, brushing her thoughts away from her mind.

but you still have all of me

@envy @asterfang | hullo hullo! of course i don't

[Deleted]

it took everything within her to not show her agitation, but her expression darkened anyway. how someone could walk around in a sour mood all day would never make sense to her. as if that wasn't enough, the elder seemed to think that everyone else around her should be in poor spirits as well. if mintcloud had it her way, asterfang was sure that no one would be allowed to smile or be thankful that they were alive to see another day. asterfang didn't know whether to pity the she-cat or envy her. low expectations probably meant that the black and white she-cat experienced disappointment less and there were definitely worse things to experience less of. even so, asterfang felt the fur along her neck erect under her scathing words, and sh felt like an apprentice again - useless and inadequate. there was nothing she wanted more than to go crawl into her nest and berate herself for her short comings, but that would mean admitting defeat.

"right, because you never had a bad hunting patrol." she kept her tone cheerful, though there was a definite edge to her words, but she paired it with a sly smile and slight cock of the head. not for the first time, the she-cat wished that heronstep was still around so she could get some dirt on mintcloud, unfortunately, she was going to figure out how she ticked all on her own. "I'm just warning you. but by all means, wander into the territory and pass out because you're too damn stubborn to eat a piece of fresh-kill that's not up to your very high standards." shrugging her shoulders, she dropped the smile from her delicate features, and snorted. the she-cats snide remark stung, but she was hard-pressed not to show it, despite her ears growing hot. by the end of the day, everyone in the camp would know that she had failed to catch anything during the patrol, and then decided to back talk an elder on top of it. just keep digging that hole asterfang. her pale orange ears flicked back as the elder pushed by her, hissing another insult. their conversation had only just started and asterfangs' emotional resolve was already bruised. yet she followed behind the elder, grumbling under her breath.

"uh, not too far from the thunderclan border. somewhere over there." gesturing with her tail, it wasn't until after she spoke that she realized that mintcloud was in fact in front of her, and unless she had spontaneously and miraculously grown eyes in the back of her head, would have no idea where she pointed to. closing her eyes for a heartbeat and taking a deep breath, she sprang up beside mintcloud, with her tail in the air. "you decide where we go. I could hunt for the rest of the day, but I don't want you to overdo it. you know, with you being older, and all." the she-cat wasn't sure if the joke would come across in its intended way, or if it would earn her a cuff over the ears, but asterfang had to try something to get the elder out of her funk, or else it was going to be a very long evening.

---

tags: bunny /Mintcloud

comments: aster is out of her league

[Mintcloud]

"right, because you never had a bad hunting patrol."

The black and white she-cat was pleasantly surprised to find that the pale warrior wasn't going to completely let her simply trod all over her. Mintcloud was used to cats balking at her cold personality, and simply rolling over as if she'd truly clawed them or something. It was a breath of fresh air to hear a cat talk back to her, even if it also annoyed her - well, of course she'd had bad hunting patrols. But she, too, had been chastised and Newleaf wasn't a hard season to catch food in. An experienced warrior such as Asterfang should have had no troubles catching something. Listening to the she-cat's following words only made Mintcloud pin her ears to her head, but she ignored Asterfang much like she ignored most cats who talked back to her - she wasn't here to argue, simply educate.

Mintcloud couldn't help but snort when the she-cat seemingly gestured to where she'd been hunting, as the black and white she-cat was no longer even facing her, but she let it slide as Asterfang moved up to join her, and carried on speaking. "you decide where we go. I could hunt for the rest of the day, but I don't want you to overdo it. you know, with you being older, and all." Another bemused snort escaped the old crone, who fixed Asterfang with a steady green gaze. "Yes, well, I suppose we'll see about that." Flicking her tail, Mintcloud turned in the direction of the border with RiverClan, and the horseplace. "We'll hunt over near the border with RiverClan, then. Most cats don't like to go that way, as the ground gets softer, but because of that prey is usually running a lot better." Mintcloud commented, starting at an easy, if not slightly stiff, trot. She hated being old - it only aggravated her more than any cat ever could. She hated the creak of her bones and the way that the sun beat down on her back, making her dry skin itch.

"Here we are." The older she-cat murmured, catching the faint scent of rabbit. There must be a rabbit warren somewhere, if only she could find it. Stepping lightly - as lightly as her body would allow her - Mintcloud slipped across the territory with a liquid grace that came more from experience than age. Her ears were twitching, eyes peering, and she for once felt her age matched her mind. Her body was cooperating. And then she saw it - the rabbit - and she launched herself forward. Bones protested. She realized half-way across the space between her and the rabbit that she wouldn't be able to catch it on her own, so instead she veered off and swung wide, coming around on it's side, and let out a loud caterwaul that quickly got the rabbit's attention - it darted off, and Mintcloud pressed it further, hoping that the young warrior waiting on the other side would catch the gist of what Mintcloud was attempting to execute.

but you still have all of me

@envy @asterfang | so sorry this took so long! :>

[Deleted]

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tagged bunny /Mintcloud words 592 notes sorry, this got super rambly!

her first reaction to mintcloud’s daunting green gaze was to flinch back, and break the stare. but she found it in herself to not back down, and hold until the older she-cat broke away. it wasn’t until after the black and white she-cat turned away from her that she realized that she had been holding her breath. with a gulping gasp, asterfang rolled her eyes and tried not to sigh. the she-cat was going to run herself into the ground before they even got to their destination. there was a vast expanse of territory between them and the riverclan border where they could hunt, but of course she had to choose the farthest point. but then again, there was no denying that she did have a point – the prey generally did run better, even if it wasn’t her first choice. the scent of wet earth turned her stomach, so she chose to avoid it most of the time, preferring to hunt where the air didn’t taint her senses. oh well, better follow the bitter elder. she didn’t want to think of the repercussions if she didn’t give mintcloud a warrior escort. asterfang tried to keep her gaze off of the elderly cat, but her eyes betrayed her as the she-cat moved stiffly over the plains. a prickle of pity flushed through her body, and she opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it. getting snapped at again didn’t really sound all that appealing to her. it didn’t stop the thoughts from running rampant through her mind though. with her tail in the air, asterfang actively avoided looking at the elders disjointed movements and took in the beauty of her territory. how the other clans could live where they did would never make sense to her. even just looking at the full canopy of leaves stretching over thunderclan territory made her chest tighten and her legs ache. she needed her open space, the wind stroaking her pelt and the sun warming her thin frame. there was nowhere she’d rather be. “oh!” gasping at the sound of mintcloud’s voice, asterfang’s ears grew hot with embarrassment and she lowered herself to the ground slightly as the black and white she-cat began to move away from her. with a cock of her head, the pale tabby marvelled at the way the elders’ body move even at her age. there was a grace to her movements that only came from countless moons of honing ones skill at hunting. asterfang studied the way her ears never stopped moving, the concentration that was apparent in the calculated movements, and though her eyes narrowed with confusion as mintcloud let out a ear splitting yowl, it only took her a heartbeat to realize the reason why. the rabbit had changed its course, its’ leaps and short strides filled with panic, and asterfang moved quickly and quietly to cut the poor creature off. with her eyes glued to the soon to be prey, the warrior darted forward, and swiftly dispatched the rabbit with a bite to the neck after pinning it to the ground. “that was incredible!” the she-cats features had erupted into a ear to ear grin, and she bounced on her paws. “I have never seen a pair hunt go so smoothly.” purring asterfang stared at the bicoloured elder with warmth and admiration. asterfang decided that when she got older, she wanted to be just like mintcloud. “do you want to try again? or go down to the lake and relax on the shore? I have so many questions for you. i want to be able to execute that with other warriors.”

template by kitty

[Mintcloud]

The black and white she-cat came to a slow, staggering stumble as she watched the pale warrior catch on to her plan, and dart out to quickly kill the rabbit that Mintcloud had scared in the she-cat's direction. It had been a few moons since Mintcloud had hunted for herself, but she could remember times where she'd go out on patrol and hunt with a fellow warrior this way. Not all cats were made to be speed machines, and though Mintcloud could happily hold her own back in her day, sometimes working as a pair was best. It was even more magnificent when one of the patrol would find a whole family of rabbits - though the dying screams of rabbits weren't always the nicest sounds to hear, it meant food, and food meant the Clan didn't go hungry. In Mintcloud's opinion, a rabbit's scream was music to her ears. Slowly, the elderly she-cat padded up to the pale warrior, slightly taken aback when Asterfang burst out into delight.

Green eyes reflected surprise for a moment - not many cats were this joyous around her (in fact, of all the cats in her Clan, the only cat that ever seemed to constantly be truly happy to see her was Crookedwing, that poor she-cat), and Mintcloud questioned, for a moment, if there was something wrong with the rabbit. Clearly Asterfang had suffered memory loss - but no, as the warrior carried on, Mintcloud could see in Asterfang's expression that the elder had somehow managed to acquire Asterfang's respect. Feeling rather prideful, Mintcloud flicked her tail and regarded the she-cat as Asterfang continued, much more happier than she'd been just moments ago. "Ah, well, thank you - but it would have gone much better if my bones weren't so old." Mintcloud murmured, avoiding Asterfang's delighted expression by giving the area a quick glance. "You did quite well, picking up on the movements of the rabbit. Perhaps earlier today was just a fluke." She added, almost begrudgingly (as she normally did - even in her younger years, most cats couldn't earn a compliment from her unless it sounded as if it were being forcibly pulled from her throat), before giving Asterfang a quick glance and then nodding her head towards the lakeshore. "Bury that rabbit. We'll give it some time before we try again - most of them probably won't be out, after my yowl."

In truth, Mintcloud could have used a break. Her paws already ached, and her body felt even stiffer than before. But she'd still caught her own food - even if she'd needed a little help. She felt rather smug about it, but better than to start boasting once she returned home. Technically, she wasn't supposed to just be up and leaving camp, so boasting about it probably wasn't going to rub her son the right way. "Let's head to the shore for a moment. I think I'd like some cool water on my pelt right about now." Mintcloud didn't much care for swimming - she was old enough to know how, roughly (of course, not nearly as well as any RiverClan cat), but she'd found that as she got older, coldness made her bones and muscles loosen. They ached less. Moving stiffly down towards the shore, the soft lakeshore warm from the day's sun. Settling down just at the water's edge, Mintcloud spread out her legs as if she were basking in the sun, and felt the cool water rush up to lap at her side and belly, and her hind legs. She'd have to groom herself - lest her white spots grow brown - but it was well worth the rush of cool along her body. "Ah, much better." The she-cat murmured, sounding satisfied for once in her life. Turning her gaze to the pale warrior with her, Mintcloud let her tail flick lazily after each gentle wave that lapped at the shore. "You said you had questions." Mintcloud prompted expectantly, gaze steady.

but you still have all of me

@envy @asterfang | same. i ramble 24/7.

[Deleted]

[googlefont="Kranky:400;"]

tagged bunny /Mintcloud words 473 notes gah, so sorry for the wait

the she-cat barely registered the black and white cats comment about her age, her face lighting up at the praise instead. it wasn't everyday that those older than her - elders and senior warriors alike - complimented her on her ability as a warrior. she had always striven for greatness, having always been a whisker shy of achieving it, but in this moment she felt as if she was excellent. asterfang wanted to run to heronstep and tell him about what she had accomplished today, the praise she had achieved from the ornery she-cat, but again the heart wrenching realization that she would never again speak with him. it always was a bitter pill to swallow. even when she spoke with her mate and shared tongues with her kits, it wouldn't be the same. for a moment she pondered the existence of starclan, but quickly shrugged off the idea at mintcloud's words. "okay! sure." all thoughts of her deceased friend fluttered from her mind as she delicately lifted the rabbit from the ground between her teeth. the smell was almost intoxicating, her stomach painfully empty after her disastrous attempt at hunting earlier, but her hunger could be addressed later. moving several paces to her right, away from the point of impact, she dropped the corpse among some tall grass and kicked some dirt over it. she let her eyes linger on the area for a heart beat longer to ensure she remembered where she left it and followed after mintcloud with her signature spring in her step. "cool water sounds lovely!" she let out a soft purr of agreement as the other she-cat mentioned the lake shore, even if had been asterfang's idea originally. she had many more moons of original ideas, she'd let mintcloud have this one. as the elder sank to the ground, asterfang respectfully waited until she had completely settled before lowering her haunches - she was far too excited and full of happiness to relax fully.  "yes! questions. uhm." asterfangs' paws shuffled as she worked out how to word her first question. the last thing she wanted was for it to sound stupid, and ruin the elders seemingly good mood. then again, there didn't really seem to be a way to ask it without sounding like a mousebrain. tearing her green eyes away from the shimmering lake surface she met the elders expectant gaze. "at what point do you know when you are going to need help with a hunt?" the question rolled off her tongue more awkwardly than she had intended, and she furrowed her brow slightly. "like, today, with you. how did you know you weren't able to catch the rabbit yourself?" her voice lost its confidence as she realized that she probably could've worded that better without making it sound like mindcloud wasn't able to do anything for herself.

template by kitty

[Mintcloud]

The cool water lapping at her body eased her aching bones and muscles. It had been a long time since Mintcloud could hunt and hunt, and still feel full of energy. Looking back on her many moons, she could remember all the pivotal moments in her life - she could remember changing. Being twisted by the darkness in the world. By disappointment. She could recognize her fault with her kits, with her Clan. Her pride was strong, and bruised, and she knew it would very well one day be the death of her, the death of her relationship with those she cared for. But she couldn't stop herself from being the way she was - brash, rude, cold. Bitter. Still, seeing how happy the pale she-cat, Asterfang, was - even in the dark gloom of Mintcloud's personality. Well, it kind of just made her jealous. If Mintcloud remembered correctly, the younger warrior had lost plenty - why had it not changed her for the worst? Or perhaps she was young enough to hide it, as Mintcloud had tried to do. Or perhaps they were just two different she-cats, handling it in different ways.

The elder's ears flinched at Asterfang's question - both the first part, and the second. The first response was a chuffing harrump from the old crone, and a sharp look of offense. Her initial instinct told her to snap at the warrior and send her away, but she had agreed to answer the she-cat's questions, and Asterfang had helped her catch the rabbit. Sucking up her pride, Mintcloud cleared her throat. "You have to know your body." She answered finally, gruffly, as if she didn't want to answer this question but felt obligated. One ear flicked backwards, towards the lake, Mintcloud regarded Asterfang with a cool gaze. "I could feel my body straining to even keep up with the rabbit. There's no way I could have caught it, not on my own." Shifting her weight, which let in a new rush of cold water underneath her, Mintcloud sighed. "Pair hunting isn't unheard of in WindClan. Rabbits are quick, and the territory is vast, and open. The best tactic is for one cat to chase the rabbit, and the other to lie in wait to catch it. Luckily, you caught on to my plan, but it's not something I would suggest just dumping on other cats unless you've discussed it with them." She added, tilting her head as if considering her words.

Ears flicking back, Mintcloud cleared her throat. "But if you tell anyone in camp that I struggled to catch a damned rabbit on my own, I'll claw your ears off personally." She ground out, irritable tone returning to her words. "Now, what else do you want to know?"

but you still have all of me

@envy @asterfang | sorry for how short it is D: 

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tagged bunny /Mintcloud words 581 notes pssh, you write beautifully regardless of length

shaking out her pelt, the she-cat shifted uncomfortably as mintcloud’s ears flicked – a possible sign of irritation. she had never been good with dancing around others’ feelings, though she did try for the most part. the elders were always tricky though, they reacted differently depending on words used, and tone of voice. heronstep enjoyed her back talk, found it wildly amusing; she hadn’t really figured out how mintcloud was going to react to certain things that were being said. it was like trying to hunt with only three legs – it felt awkward and you never knew when you were going to make the wrong move and face plant. the only downside to tip-toeing around elders is that they had quite a bit of pull in the clan and could make the warriors lives particularly difficult. asterfang withered under the scornful gaze, and this time she looked away. maybe she had gone too far. the she-cat had to stifle a sigh of relief when she finally answered, and she nodded at the elders’ words. “being able to recognize that and swallow your pride, that’s pretty impressive.” she said gently, choosing her words carefully and watching the elders face for her reaction. whiskers twitching slightly, asterfang flicked her tail over her paws. “I learned about pair hunting when I was an apprentice, but this is the first time outside of training that I have actually been a part of it. it took me a second to understand exactly what you were doing – I was a little confused at first, but I’m glad I was able to help make your hunt successful!” chuckling softly, she looked out over the moors of windclan territory. “it was, heh, it was such a rush. maybe we should use it more often; our warriors are fast, but it seems to be a pretty solid hunting maneuver.” asterfang was pretty sure she was going to be riding the high from the hunt for several days. she had had good hunts before, ones that made her feel euphoric, but there was something about this particular hunt that was different. perhaps it was getting to do it with an elder, someone who knew all the tricks in the books and wasn’t scared to put the fate of a hunt into the paws of warrior she wasn’t overly familiar with. “no, mintcloud, I-I would never!” the pale tabby was taken aback by her abrupt change in demeanour, and she shrunk in on herself. it had been a while since she had been spoken to in such a manner, but it humbled her. her mate was always telling her someone needed to keep her ego in check since the snarky elder wasn’t around to do it anymore. warmth towards the black and white she-cat bubbled within her. despite what the elder had just said, she was still willing to answer asterfang’s questions. though the smile had left her face, she let herself sink down to the earth, with her front paws crossed and regarded the elder with a slight cock f her head. “which part of the territory do you think brings the most prey? is there any particular spot, or does it depend on the time of day? I’m sorry, I know these questions seem silly, but,” asterfang sighed, and she blinked slowly. “I guess I never want to stop learning to be a better warrior. I owe it to the clan, and to those who have died, to be my best.”

template by kitty

[Mintcloud]

Mintcloud knew she could be harsh. It wasn't as if her ears were broken - she could hear what others said about her. But she also knew that sometimes a warrior could get ahead of themselves, to full of themselves, and she liked to keep the cats in her company in check. Mintcloud had lived a long life - she felt entitled to her ability to speak freely, and often harshly, around her Clanmates. Still, she felt a flicker of guilt at the expressions she saw in Asterfang's face. Especially when the she-cat commented on how impressive it was that Mintcloud knew her weaknesses. Huffing, the she-cat gave the warrior a begrudging dip of her head, a sign of respect. "All cats should know their weaknesses, and use them to the best of their ability. For instance, your pelt is light-colored, and easier to spot in thick undergrowth. If we were ever to attack ThunderClan, you would be more easily spotted than cats with darker pelts. One should always keep their weaknesses in mind - or else they'll be forced to look upon them when they are defeated." She grumbled, though she felt a spot of warmth for the she-cat's resilience. Most cats didn't spend this much time in Mintcloud's presence, other than Crookedwing, and Mintcloud often wondered if the young, broken warrior would even spend time with her if she hadn't been born with that defect of hers. Mintcloud could recognize the same strength in Crookedwing as she could see in Asterfang, and for a moment she felt a spot of pity for the other she-cat, restrained from normal duties.

Mintcloud let Asterfang talk, her tail flicking lazily against the shallow water along the bank. "Speed isn't all that's required to catch a rabbit." Mintcloud replied, shaking her head. "It's important to continue to hone the skills you learn in training - pair hunting is quite easy, when both cats are aware of what's going on." Even still, Asterfang had caught on so quickly, and though she probably would never express it fully, Mintcloud was impressed. Another wave of guilt hit the elder when she saw the smile drop from Asterfang's face, but it was important to Mintcloud's pride for the warrior to understand how quickly this relationship could sour if Asterfang embarrassed Mintcloud. The elder didn't forgive - and she never forgot. The black and white she-cat considered the warrior's next question, and then gave the pale warrior a critical once-over at the second part of her comment. "That's a good outlook to have. Even Dewstar could stand to learn a few moves. No cat is ever fully finished learning. But don't do it for the Clan, or your lost ones. Do it for yourself. You owe it to yourself, to be the best. Not anyone else." Mintcloud replied, her tone suddenly solemn. She had spent her whole life catering to others - to the father of her kits, to her Clan - she had let it twist and darken and sour her until she couldn't recognize herself anymore. She was selfish now, but there was a time when she did everything she could to be the best she could be, for everyone but herself. "The best place to find prey is near water, or sometimes near where twoleg gardens are. Rabbits love the things those pale creatures grow, but it's dangerous for us to get so close. This area is quite good, as well, mostly because it seems to be often overlooked - I think most of our Clan is worried about the kittypets, or perhaps the horses."

but you still have all of me

@envy @asterfang | I'm so sorry I made you wait so long D: but I totally ship this friendship