by ponz » Tue Jan 05, 2021 10:14 am
Username (cs + site): ponz
Clans: SpruceClan, Golden Kingdom
Name of the Clan your cat/group is going to: Golden Kingdom
Which cat/group are you trying out for: Simon
How will this cat/group fit into your Clan?:
When Larch's Advance finally collapsed during that fateful storm, Simon felt nothing but exhaustion. No anger, no regret, just a heavy fatigue that had been sneaking up on him all along. He was tired, so he turned his back to everything he'd worked for and walked away. It took a few days for his new reality to sink in. Jaded and afraid, Simon stayed on the move. He wandered far, far away from the pine-and-larch forest he'd once called home. He didn't want to be near the trees, anymore. Not after the thunderstorm and the lightning fires and the hollow tree's collapse. His dreams were fitful, if he managed to get any rest at all. Vivid nightmares were interspersed with visions of a massive white cat urging him to keep going. Simon neglected sleeping and walked until his body could go no further, just to make the visions stop. On the dawn of his third week, he came across an endless field of tall grass and wildflower. It was warm and bright, and there was the faint scent of cats nearby. Following it lead him to a massive Twoleg's castle on a rolling hill, banners waving and the smell of prey strong enough to make his mouth water.
Simon circled the castle for several days, unwilling to approach but too curious to leave. The blatant mistrust of his clan and its subsequent collapse had taken a toll; deep down, he blamed himself for everything that had gone wrong and was hesitant to assimilate himself into another group. What if he were to ruin that one, too? But Simon's black fur made hunting in the plains rather difficult, so his pressing hunger and the onset of a fever made him give in eventually. He didn't have to go far. A small patrol found him first and scooped him up before he could explain himself. Simon appreciated the gesture, actually, because he wasn't sure if he had the energy to climb that hill. They introduced themselves as the Golden Kingdom. Their whispers sounded like "malnourished" and "get the clerics" and "burning up", but Simon couldn't really tell for sure. His ears had been ringing for a while.
Despite his fever-addled state, Simon was still able to identify which of the cats inside the castle was in charge. Crown of Embers seemed like a good leader. He wasn't nervous or jittery like Simon was, and he was kind to all of the knights as they returned with their sickly stowaway in tow. It was a relief to know someone competent was in charge. As long as he wasn't leading, Simon couldn't let anyone down. Crown of Embers led right to the cleric's den as soon as he caught sight of him. Later, Lily's Grace would tell Simon that he'd passed out for two days, before chastising him as if he were her own kit and not a complete stranger. Her little apprentice, Young Moth, was just as insufferable, constantly bouncing into the den and wheedling him for stories about where he'd come from. Morning's Dew, the sleek-furred tom with the sad eyes, was the only cleric who didn't barrage him with invasive questions. Morning just let him sit and stew in his thoughts as he slowly recovered, tending to Simon and watching him closely, but never speaking. Sometimes, his favorite cleric would disappear for hours on end, only returning at nightfall. It was all very curious.
Simon finally spoke one week into his stay with the Kingdom, a quiet request for Morning to share where he ran off to. His voice was raspy from disuse. Morning's Dew didn't respond immediately, but for a moment, those sad eyes brightened. The cleric nudged Simon up from his nest, dragging his patient through parts of the castle he'd never seen before until they finally came across a large room that smelled faintly of milk. Inside were three little kittens, each one a different color but all with the same rounded ears and shaped faces as Morning. The dots connected quickly. With permission granted, Simon approached the tiny kits and timidly offered to give them a badger-back ride around the room. His proposal was accepted with a chorus of delighted squeaks, and for the first time in several moons, Simon felt useful. He felt wanted. Morning's Dew opened up more and more as Simon spent time with his kittens whenever he was allowed out of his nest. Both toms gradually began to speak with one another until they were bantering and play-fighting with every breath (a common argument was whether or not the three kittens seemed to like Simon more, much to their father's chagrin).
By the end of his first moon, Simon had finally begun to relax. The quiet, simmering anger that had been building up for so long and the self-loathing that had yet to disappear were both still there, but they were shrinking each day. He was too busy settling into his new life to let them take over again. He had a family to look after now.
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