chivalry is dead — private

tags ✦ ✧ ✦ It felt to Shrikecall as though sometimes, he had the whole world in his paws, and life was perfect. More recently, it felt like the opposite was true. Life was...well, it was bland. He had three new little kits to take care of, children who had survived although the whole world seemed to be pitted against them. He had Littlepond by his side, but although it sometimes felt like they were so close—yesterday's water fight in the river was a perfect example of that—at other times he wasn't sure if she truly still loved him, or if she was just pretending, the way he was. Wear the mask long enough and maybe it would become real.

He'd drawn a fishing patrol with Shimmerpool, and the two had agreed to meet by the riverside, rather than tramp through the territory together. Shrikecall preferred it that way: it gave him ample time to sort through the shattered thoughts that crashed around his mind, and maybe, just maybe, by the time he arrived at the river, he'd be in a calm enough state to hunt.

That was the plan, but by the time he arrived at the prearranged meeting spot, his thoughts were still in a disarray. If that magical spark of life and love had fled from him, whose fault was it? His, for not trying hard enough? Littlepond's? Perhaps it was a combination of both. Either way, he wished he could start over. Frowning, he bent over the still water, shadow falling deep beneath the river's depths, sending small fish fleeing from the dark shape.

Shimmerpool

tags ✦ ✧ ✦ His mistake was elementary, really, and that registered within Shrikecal at almost the same moment that he registered a presence behind him. Even if he hadn't been expecting her, it would have only taken him a heartbeat to realize who had arrived. The scent and voice was one that he intrinsically tied to Shimmerpool—and most warriors didn't have her attitude. Part of him felt that he ought to be insulted, but he was too burnt out from worrying about Littlepond to really care.

As he parted his jaws to respond, Shimmerpool swiped a fish from the water and tossed it toward him. He barely had time to raise his paw to swat the thing away before it had hit him in the chest and with a loud thwack, fallen to the sandy ground. Raising his eyes to offer a cool look toward his hunting partner, Shrikecall meowed blandly, "So, does that make it my catch or yours?"

// I officially love shimmerpool

tags ✦ ✧ ✦ "Mhh." Considering his mood, it was hard to really dwell on what Shimmerpool was saying, and by the time Shrikecall had processed the comment, he'd already made a sound of agreement. Great. The situation was, at once, both frustrating and amusing. "Enjoy it, then," he responded, lightly batting the fish back toward her. He was tempted to lean over the water again, but practicality reigned, and the tom bit back the urge.

There would still be a few moments until the water was calm enough for the big fish to come back, and he eyed Shimmerpool cautiously, debating if it was worth heading to a different spot on the river instead of waiting. Shrikecall was comfortable where they were, and when the fish were swimmingly normally again, this was usually a great fishing hole. Rocking back on his hindlegs, he muttered, almost to himself, "I always get hunting patrols at the worst times."

tags ✦ ✧ ✦ It ought to bother him that she was eating the fish instead of dragging it back to camp, Shrikecall told himself, but he couldn't bring himself to care. The fish was a tiny thing, barely a meal for a kit, and considering how late in the day it was, chances were high that she'd already either brought back food for the clan or patrolled the border. This was his second patrol of the day, after all: there was no reason to believe that it wasn't her second or third as well. "You're not going to drop that, are you?" he grumbled. If she was going to turn this into a game, he saw no reason not to go along with her. It might distract him from the difficulties with his mate. "Teach me, oh Mighty Teacher," Shrikecall begged, the faint beginnings of a smile starting to glimmer on his maw.