there's no answer | open

Darkstar spent too much time deep in introspect. He was well aware of such, however, it was part of his nature that had been long ago accepted. After all, the other option was to struggle and make such consideration worse. By accepting and handling the processing time needed, it made him stronger, more adept at handling it. Or, at least that was how it felt. Even so, the habit was always enough to drive the leader into the pines and marshes alone, sitting in the silence along the undergrowth, still and unnoticed. It was the position he’d been in for most of the morning, sitting at the foot of one of the pines, along the brambles and ferns, eyes closed, and mind churning.

It was pawsteps rustling the pine needles that slowly brought the tom from his thoughts, eyes opening and gaze scanning the undergrowth carefully, his ears pricked and alert. For a long moment he waited, his eye adjusting, ears swivelling, until he found the noise. Slowly, Darkstar pulled himself to his paws, and tasted the air. The wind wasn’t in his favour, however the proximity of the noise was enough to confirm if it was a threat, he would have picked it up. Even so, the leader moved quietly, his long pelt puffed out against the chill to the air, and paws sliding forward as he moved out from between the branches of the bramble, skilfully weaving through the undergrowth.

The grey fur was hard to miss, and immediately the scent of ShadowClan touched his nose. It was enough to remove one layer of concern. However, plenty still existed at the sight of Ashfall. She’d long since proven her dedication to the clan but, perhaps hypocritically, he was always on alert. For a moment the leader considered whether to approach. She didn’t need disturbance. However, the slight hint of caution that always hung in his chest around outsiders pushed him forward, paws pattering softly against the forest floor. “Successful hunting, Ashfall?” he questioned as he approached, tail held up in greeting. “Were you on a patrol, or simply out alone?”