NUMB AND COLD — open, departure

Cobiapaw was sitting, practicing his fishing paw swoop into a thickly structured dead ivy tendril. His paw clumsily shook over the side of it, aiming his outreached claws to snag the dirt below. He let out a hard sigh, and shook his head. A small pain bit into his chest, and he flopped backwards and looked over his shoulders in defeat. His gaze landed on his mentor Palemoon. Her scent was a tad off, and her face was..wrong. It had no emotion, seemed to perceive nothing around it, except for a cold, dead rage glistening in her eyes.

He started to slide his dusty rump inch by inch closer to her central position in a nonchalant way. If she was as unstable as she physically seemed, he didn't want to disturb or disrupt her thoughts and methods. Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat in slight surprise as she stood and bobbed her head.

He looked through muddy copper optics at the fae, chewing on his lip the slightest bit. As she briskly started to walk off, he stood from his placement on his hinds and to a slow chase. His limbs begged him to stay seated, and his mind did as well.

From sliding under the ice, he had broken a claw, suffered from chest pain, and still was a bit extra clumsy after not seeking a medicine cat yet. He was not the type to pursue help, needed direly or as a wish.

Yeah right. He wasn't going to sit on those same fawn-footed feet and whine about something he could have an impact on. As he waited a bit before slipping out of the camp silently after the femme, his thoughts raced.

Quietstar was her father, right? A death of a family member must have hit her hard. Hard enough for her to go into a state of denial? No. This wasn't denial. She knew what she was doing, by her self-produced actions and repeated body language he had observed through training before.

His brown and fawn pelt rose upwards as a cold wind battered his chest. It came from the east, the same direction they - no, Palemoon and her shadow were heading. Not even a stalker; nor a hidden follower. His multiple rattled and sliced coughs were obvious and loud. Their path? Strait towards Thunderclan's border. Hmm. For what reason should she need to head there. Unless. No. No, she was a loyal Riverclan cat. Right?

She had left before for other clans, left for things he did not know. He had heard past whispers about the things the older gray cat had done; witness; seen; heard. Some unspeakable things diluted into small phrases and misshapen thoughts.

Now, the usually loyal apprentice, was internally split.

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The feline's liquid luminaries burned like a forest fire under the gentle breeze that swirled throughout the camp. The walls protecting the clan from a battle of winds that seemed to beat at the entrance of her home. She couldn't help but feel defeated by Leafbare and it's harsh impact upon Riverclan's frozen territory, as they so heavily relied upon fish. And now the rivers were frozen over, hidden under a sheet of ice. Some days the rivers and streams that trickled through the territory were so frozen that one couldn't find a break in the ice! Nor attempt to break through upon that matter. It was aggravating. Therefor, causing the fish-seeking felines to look elsewhere for prey.

However, Riverclan would pull through. Cougartail knew that.

Inhaling, the fem's spectacles traveled throughout the camp as she sat under the entrance of the Warrior's den, features high as her jaws were unlatched ever so slightly to taste the air as it swirled like smoke upon the atmosphere about her vessel. It ruffled her sandy fur that had grown longer during the winter months and whispered upon her long ears like pixies.

However, something odd transfixed upon her frigid glare. It was Palemoon. Anger laced her features like a mask and enveloped the goddess's every movement in a thick blanket of honey. Something was wrong and by the looks of it, the Warrior wasn't very pleased.

The toyger mix lifted her weight upon her paws, shoulder aching in pain ever so gently- causing Cougartail to wince for a breath. However, the she-cat ignored the dog bite with a sharp exhale before padding after Palemoon and her apprentice, Cobiapaw. The feline's already narrowed stare turned into a glare, it was as if she could taste the anger that burned off the fem, as she was headed directly towards Thunderclan.

Cougartail couldn't help but feel guilty. It was an odd emotion that snaked through her veins like ice. Why was she upset? Was it her promotion to deputy, or perhaps was that a vain thought?

What seemed to be a hurricane of questions flooded upon the she-cat's broad shoulders for a moment before she quickly excused them with a flick of her battle notched ear. "Palemoon!" She called out, vocals holding a sense of strength as they cut through the harsh winds that pelted Cougar's fur like hail.
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[size=6pt]★ trek