* silence is a burden ( PERCY )

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    Larkspur valued silence. Many didn't, but she appreciated that often the quietness held a depth that no words could contain. And Larkspur would be the first to agree that it was difficult to find true silence when others were around. Because of this, she was alone, like she often was.


    She had only started to really understand silence as a concept for those four painful moons after the Accident. For those moons, she couldn't talk; the pain of having to move her jaw was too great. Pre-masticated prey would be pressed into her cheeks so she could swallow them haltingly, but besides that, she would be left alone with her thoughts, unable to make a sound, tempted to scream in agony and yet unable to. And somehow, gradually, as the days progressed and the pain faded, she began to appreciate her silence.


    So there she was. Sitting alone in the snow, in one of Windclan's many empty moors, just listening to the wind and to her thoughts. It was a beautiful kind of peace that Larkspur wasn't often able to find.

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    Snowheart - Warrior - ThunderClan - Seventeen Moons


    "I hate winter..." Cloudfoot muttered, holding a pigeon between her jaws.


    Snowheart let out a chuckle. "It's not that bad. In fact, I quite enjoy it out here."


    His hunting partner rolled her eyes. "I'm going back to camp. Give me your squirrel; I'll take it back for you."


    Snowheart did as he was told. Cloudfoot was his best friend, and she normally took his prey back to camp for him. He liked to walk through the forest often in the winter. His fur was thick enough to keep him incredibly warm. He watched her mottled brown and white pelt disappear through the trees before turning around and walking in the other direction. Weak sunlight settled on his shoulders as he padded through the woods, admiring the glittering icicles and fluffy snow.



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    The post was edited 1 time, last by Percy ().

    Larkspur allowed her lids to drift shut, so it was just her and the silence, not the blinding glare of the snow or the infinite watery sky. She felt almost golden inside, light and airy and free, like she could hear everything for miles.


    And so it was that when she heard voices, her heart thumped and her eyes flew open, green daggers spearing anything in sight. She couldn't see anyone yet, but if she strained her ears, there were definitely cheerful voices. Larkspur cocked her head to one side, squinting in the direction of the conversation. Should she join them? She was always trying to be more social, after all. But... the silence was so beautiful.


    Before she could make a decision, she heard pawsteps. The group had split up, and now neither was talking. Instead, one was walking straight towards her. Larkspur's nostrils flared and she tensed, inhaling the bitter winter's air that stung her nasal passages. It was definitely a Thunderclanner, but she couldn't remember his name. She didn't know a lot of the warriors her age, really. The time that they had spent bonding, she had spent curled in agony on the floor of the medicine den.


    A burly tom with a brilliant white pelt was making his way across the snow, smiling to himself. Larkspur hesitated for a second. He was looking at the snow before him and he was downwind, so if she didn't say anything, he probably would never know she was there and she could continue to wallow in her silence.


    But, tightening her tail's curl around her paws, she cleared her throat as loudly as she could to call his attention, keeping her jade eyes trained on the back of his head.

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    Snowheart - Warrior - ThunderClan - Seventeen Moons


    With sharp, aquamarine eyes, Snowheart looked around, his eyes widening in surprise. Apparently he wasn't alone. Tilting his head slightly, he discovered a she-cat from his Clan. What was her name? It was...Larkspur. Snowheart knew who she was very well. He'd had a little crush on her back when they had been apprentices, but after Larkspur's accident, Snowheart hadn't seen her in a while. There were so many cats in their Clan it was easy to lose someone. Upon seeing her, he blinked, feeling no pity for her. After any terrible event, his clanmates would feel sorrow and pity towards the said victim, and it would normally irritate them. Snowheart knew if he had lost sight in one eye or had an ear shredded off, he'd hate the sad gazes that would follow him everywhere he went.


    Giving his head a shake, he trotted towards Larkspur. "Hello." He meowed, flicking his fluffy tail.



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    Larkspur summoned what she hoped was a warm smile to her muzzle, but she knew that since the left half wouldn't function, it would be more of a mutilated half-grimace. Still, it was worth a try. There was a flare of recognition in his gaze that kindled a spark of gratitude in her heart. His eyes were refreshingly clear of pity, and not only that, he recognized her! If only she could say the same. His face was familiar, but his name... she licked a paw self-consciously, struggling to remember, and nearly didn't hear his greeting.


    Larkspur's heart raced. Say hello back, she urged herself, but it was so hard. Not daring to look up, she carefully arranged her lips in the correct position and then mewed, "H-hi." So far, so good, she congratulated herself. The syllable was barely mangled as it left her lips, which was a good sign. She longed to have a normal conversation -- hello, how are you, haven't seen you for a while, nice weather today, catch anything good? -- but she knew that he would be listening to the ridiculous slurs of her speech and laughing.

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    Snowheart - Warrior - ThunderClan - Seventeen Moons


    Snowheart nodded. He wondered if he was making Larkspur nervous; she probably didn't talk as much to other cats anymore. He could tell she was trying to make her speech as easy to understand as she could. Snowheart had sensitive ears; to him, her voice sounded like any other. He understood what she was saying perfectly. "It's a nice day, isn't it? Hardly any clouds. The snow is probably going to melt soon."


    {I am in love with this roleplay all of a sudden. o_o}
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    Larkspur blinked owlishly at him, waiting for an expression of disgust -- or, worse yet, sympathy -- to pass over Snowheart's face like a dark cloud, leaving nothing but shadows behind it. Nothing happened. She relaxed slightly, cocking her head to one side. Maybe he was just unobservant?


    He was so close to her now, just a couple of feet away from him. She could hear his breathing, even the little purr that slithered from his lips. She darted her eyes up to gauge his expression, and she couldn't help smiling herself. He clearly had an appreciation for nature too.


    "Ahm dowin wha yore dowin," she managed haltingly, cursing her impediment with every forced syllable. "Jess edmrin the naytcha." She stared down at her paws, her face warming. She had managed, over the moons, to coach her speaking until it was pretty much coherent, but whenever she got nervous, her facial muscles forgot all of the painstaking effort that had been put into them, and just started twitching all over the place. Listening to herself speak pained her.


    She could hear from his pawsteps that he was still walking closer and all she was aware of was the crippling warmth on her face. If only she could go back to before the Accident and make sure that none of it had never happened. Poor Snowheart must find her pathetic.