Take A Stroll With Me

Gentle splatters of rain came down throughout the valley, wetting the scarce foliage and giving the air that moist dirt smell. The smell brought familiar images to the large cat's mind as he sat, legs sprawled out at his side, with his long neck straightened. The clan leader's large nose lifted slightly, sniffing at the air a few times, taking in deep breaths as the silent morning went on. But silent wasn't really what the cat would have used to describe the scenery. His large ears picked up the tiniest of sounds- from the gentle misting rains pattering against the rocks and cacti, to the ruffling of mice and birds moving about the greenery that graced their lands for such a short amount of time.
Those large ears swiveled back and forth as the large cat sat upon his den, relaxed and without a worry this early morning.

Coyotestar watched as the sun began to brighten the sky on the horizon. Although he could not see the sun quite yet, its rays had started to light up behind the clouds that were still rolling in; it painted the sky a strange, dim set of fiery hues. He knew that this sunlight would be engulfed in the heavy set of clouds to come, but watching the sun rise was one of the large cat's favorite things to witness, no matter how early it came in the valley.


"Coyotestar," a meow came from far below the clan leader's den rock. A slender-muscled cat stood with her tail calmly swaying back and forth, gray fur dampened from the misty rains.

"Yes, Stonejumper, what is it?" The large leader called back easily.

"Morning rounds went smoothly. Two of our scouts found new scents of a new family of quail in the usual brush, but other than that it was a quiet morning." Stonejumper twitched her whiskers in goodbye as Coyotestar nodded his approval from his perch.

"Oh- Stonejumper," the spotted cat turned his head down towards the warrior cat. "Would you mind sending Saberheart to me? I'd like to discuss our daily agenda a little early this morning."

The gray cat nodded, "Of course Coyotestar, I'll send the message right away." turning from the MountainClan leader and briskly beginning her decent towards the dens hidden throughout their camp.

Coyotestar purred lightly to himself as his yellow eyes lifted back up to the sky, squinting passed the mists and flattening his ears slightly to avoid build up of moisture on the fluffy inner hairs.

The gentle whistling of grass against stone had filled the morning air with a soft music, joined here and there with the calming chorus of a morning dove hidden safely amongst the crags and cracks of the rock faces that encircled the small valley. A few rays played hide and seek among the darkening clouds, their blushing pinks and reds painting the sky in a tapestry of warmth. A small mist had formed as the rain began to sprinkle over the valley, stirring up the dry earth as it seeped in deep and making clouds below as they had above.
Through the gray a large shape slid effortlessly over the stones, its pelt blending near flawlessly within the rain-spattered rock. Had it not been for the fact it moved silently, and without resistance, one would almost mistake if for a stone dislodged from its home, rolling down the hill as it neared the rocky outcrop Mountainclan called home. It wasn't until he emerged from the thick of the fog and stepped paw into camp that it was immediately obvious the hulking shape in the mist had been Saberheart, the clan's deputy.
The exceptionally large tom hauled his catch-- a jack rabbit, whose size paled considerably against its captor-- toward the pile hidden delicately under a sage bush in the center of the camp. He looked up questioningly as Stonejumper mewed a greeting, a small lizard in his mouth. Only those who knew him best could guess he had picked it up more to have an excuse not to speak than he was actually hungry.
"Coyotestar wishes to see you, Saberheart," The sweet she-cat said, nodding toward the outcrop the Mountainclan leader was perched on. Saberheart followed her gaze and nodded his thanks, before picking up a ground-squirrel from the pile as well and taking both prey pieces toward the ledge.
The tom leapt with ease up the rocky path, his paws finding the natural foot-holds as easily as a kit finds its mother's belly, and nodded a quick greeting to his leader, placing the ground squirrel and lizard between them as he sat next to the other tom.
" 'Morning, Coyotestar," he purred in a voice that seemed entirely too soft for his exterior.

"Good morning, Saberheart." The clan leader meowed, giving his deputy a gentle lick behind his ear, looking at the large cat's feathery pelt. "Lizard of silence again, I see." The large cat chuckled deep in his chest before gently sliding the squirrel towards himself. "And yet you saved the jackrabbit for the elders to find again. You do surprise me sometimes." Coyotestar hummed, ears lifting at the sound of wet wings fluttering quickly overhead. The spotted tom cat watched the dove fly away before turning his gaze to the receading image of the sun through the clouds.

"It seems like it will be a damp day today. Starclan knows we needed the rain, but I worry for the new kits. We'll have to bulk up the foliage around the dens to avoid any moisture coming through. And I'm certain the Queens will be grateful for the collected rainwater soaked in, if we can find some good lichen." Coyotestar hummed, tail curling and falling against the wet stop where he lay.

"I suppose we should at least head down below, my fur is already getting pretty heavy from being out in this mist. And I smell actual rain coming." The leader meowed, slowly pulling his massively large and tall form up from where he'd been resting. He gave a quick stretch on his spine before grabbing the squirrel between his teeth. A flick of his ear signaled for his deputy to follow him below to his den, where they could still see out to camp while being covered by the angle of the boulder they had been resting atop of.

Saberheart flicked an ear in silent resentment at the lizard comment, though his lack of a comeback only seemed to prove the leaders point. The large tom wasn't known for use of an extensive vocabulary. Not that he minded, there was plenty of other ways to convey what he meant.
The dusty-furred tom nodded along as Coyotestar spoke, making notes to assign his patrols to be in the lookout for the things they'd need to bulster the nursery for the wet season. More lichen, fresh grass and moss if they were lucky, more rubble for drainage... He wondered vaguely if Brushwhisper had found anything useful while searching for herbs.
As soon as the season had began to grow hot, and clouds could be seen forming and disapating nearly everyday, the clan had moved into their Wet Season's camp, high amongst their territories peaks, nestled safely in a small outcrop at the end of a peak's plateau. The recent move meant a different area of territory to explore, new herbs and materials to gather and utilize, but it also meant more work to set up before the rains began. They'd be safe from the flooding at the High Point, but many resources could become cut off from them during the storms and Saberheart wanted to make sure they would have enough to last them until the rains left again.
He flicked his tail in agreement as Coyotestar started moving towards the leader's den, picking up his lizard and moving to join his companion in the dry cave. He gave a quick shake of his pelt as he entered, attempting to dispel the lingering moisture from the fog as he lay down opposite the other tom. Placing the lizard between his paws for now, Saberheart instead turned to run a long tongue over the other's shoulders, wicking away the moisture that still clung to his freckled pelt.
Clearing his throat between licks, he spoke, "This storm seems light, I don't think the valley will flood. More prey should come out after it clears-- more herbs will bloom too, Starclan willing. The medicine cats will be happy."
The tom's voice remained soft, rough in some places from under use. And while his statements were short, it was the most he'd spoken in days. Save for setting patrols in the morning, most cats never heard more than a pawful of words from him at a time. Except for Coyotestar. The two had known each other for too long, they were close. The scarred tom was one of the few cats Saberheart felt comfortable enough to talk to outside of clan duties. Even if it did take a moment for the conversation to flow.