Paws splashed along the puddles as thunder crashed above, lightning illuminating the sky and reflecting against soaked pelts: silver lining. Yet only one pelt appeared, the other set of paw steps echoing with the thunder, another illusion of those who walked before them. In comparison to the visible paw steps, the hidden ones held more resentment, a controlling atmosphere that the former appeared to be running from, making an escape despite the attachment they presented to each other. An evil bound to a pure spirit.
Diving for shelter, Junco collapsed under a fallen tree, heavily breathing in order to catch her breath. An unheard voice whispered... or was it just the wind? Junco muttered back, shaking her head and flicking her tail in a direction, longing for it to go away. Rain poured down on the roof of the collapsed tree as she shook her pelt off, pushing her nose into the damp dirt to unbury a section of it that had been turned up. With the use of her nose and paws she unburied a small collection of off-whites in the mud, splatters of brown and darker colours embarked in the paler colours. Bones. Dragging her claws into the dirt, Junco retrieved one of the bones, looping her claws around the now-empty eye socket and throwing it to be outside in the rain, the dirt slowly washing off with the intensity of it.
She watched with curiosity before too sticking her nose out into the rain, dirt pouring down her muzzle as she stared down at the bird skull that had displaced the dirt. Huffing she spun back around to look at the other collection of bones: broken bird skulls and other unidentifiable bones coated in the same darkness that had covered the skull. The one bone of the collection that had survived, yet to perish under the pressure of nature. Junco refused to sit down, the dirt would only coat her in it's presence too, marking her as a vulnerable act towards nature, she only allowed for her paws to be coated, as they always had been. Misled by misfortune and power above her. Relief still lingered from the lack of company she currently had, giving her the freedom to, she hoped, mind her own business and plan her return.
How many moonpassings had it been?
Last she heard of The Kin, the uprising had happened, an attempt against the Origin that had wiped one of her lives away from her. Junco had been caught up in that and accused as one of those within the rebellion, going against any attempt she had to try and reason and be passive with her reasonings. What had been the cause of her departure sat in front of her, torn into by the heavy rain, dominated by the claps of thunder roaring in the sky above them, lightning teasing at the hint of hope and freedom that was present in the storm. Who knew a bird skull could pose a threat towards the clan. Junco scoffed, completely stepping back out into the rain to feel the same pressure as the skull. Her pelt was already soaked, what was the point? It was mental preparation for tomorrow, if she even got to that point without back away. It had to be sorted at some point, she couldn't leave the problem to float and grow bigger.
There was no harm in waiting out a passing storm. Stay vigilant.
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West pressed her paws against the wooden bridge, contemplating the intensity of the damage that had been inflicted on the wooden planks. Water still completely soaked the wood and she let out an agitated sigh - last time there had been a serious storm they had lost one of their bridges to the lightning. A sign from those who had walked before them, she guessed. Pacing forward, she took note of how her paw steps imprinted into the wood, leaving an obvious trail of where she had trekked. Her focus switched to these paw prints as she pressed down into the wood again, checking to see if everything was still safe.
"You never felt wood before?" A sudden voice made West's fur bristle as she unsheathed her claws and spun around, her muzzle drawing back into a snarl. "Junco." West forced a chuckle at Junco, who stood there with a point-blank expression, the skull of a bird resting at her paws. "Oh please, don't play tough." Junco remarked, yet with no hostility towards her companion, who radiated fear and hatred back. Swallowing her words, Junco hesitated and paced forward, resulting in West bracing herself even more, her muzzle still drawn back in a complete snarl. "You have no right here," West reinforced the idea into Junco's mind, yet she pushed through. She had bigger problems. West's voice wasn't the only one she heard, the whisper that had haunted her from the previous night drew closer again, telling her what to do. Of course, she ignored both: two different sides to the same coin.
"The storm last night, I-"
"You've come here to tell me that was your fault, haven't you? That you angered those who walked before us."
Junco looked taken back and bit her tongue, casting a glance away from West and towards the skull, almost staring at something unseen that was standing over the skull. As she had before she closed her eyes and shook her head before pacing towards the skull, turning her back to West and picking up the skull. West watched with fear, still completely braced at what Junco was going to do. With obvious hesitation, Junco carried the skull over to West, before veering off to her side and peering over the edge of the bridge, flicking her tail for West to watch.
Junco dropped the skull into the rushing water below, the water bellowed upon contact. West slowly relax, watching in awe as Junco turned around to face her, her tone genuine. "I'm not here to cause trouble or anything, please listen to me." Junco meowed, nodding towards the water once more, only to lock eyes back with West, who had now sat down in her spot, awkwardly shuffling her paws attentively as Junco spoke. Occasionally she would look around at either side of the bridge, checking that none of The Kin walked in on them. Neither of them would be willing to explain that. "Make it quick." She warns as Junco also takes her seat, wrapping her tail around her front paws. "As I was saying.. the storm last night. That must've hit hard." Her voice fluctuated for a moment - a detail West caught onto very quickly, yet remained quiet herself. It wasn't worth mentioning that, West was amazed that Junco even had the courage to show herself again after their previous encounter. Traitor.
"It's nothing, just flooding as usual. You know what it's like." West retorted back, her gaze locked completely on Junco in the event she tried something suspicious. Junco stayed put, however. It was now, no arguments about that.
"I want to help." Junco finally confessed, earning a sudden laugh from West. She drew her ears back.
"You, of all cats, wanting to help out? Oh by Overseer's paw steps, what are you talking about?" She snickered, mocking Junco, whom of which she didn't believe was being serious. Why would a traitor offer help? What was she trying to get out of this? "If you've come here looking for shelter, this isn't the place for you, turn back-"
"I just want to help rebuild whatever was broken, please." Junco repeated, her ears still at an angle as she spoke. West narrowed her eyes, leaning forward as she watched Junco. "And why should I believe you?" West snarled again, rising back to her paws in suspicion and pacing towards Junco, "What do you want from us so badly?"
"West-"
"No. No! Answer the question, Junco. What do you want from us?"
Junco suddenly hissed, causing West herself to draw backwards. "How many times do I have to say it? I want to help you. Was that skull not enough for you? Not enough to prove I'm not here to harm you in any way?" She snapped at a now very surprised West who stood her ground. "Let me help clean up - I'll leave the second everything is better. Please." Junco continued on, watched closely again by West the entire time. Finally sighing, West nodded, the faint remains of her drawn back muzzle still showing through as she spoke. "If you're true to your words, maybe. On the condition that you don't sleep in camp and that you have to hunt for yourself." West spoke, pacing around Junco in an off-circle as she went, flicking her tail around her companion. "However." Her tone suddenly changed as she stopped in front of Junco again, staring directly into her eyes.
"One mess up, and I'll assure you don't get a second chance ever again. Do I make myself clear?"
No response.
"Junco."
"I, uh, yes, yes West. I understand." The forced sympathy had returned as she shifted her own paws, looking away from West in shame. "Prisoner, not one of us. Gather what you must, I'll meet you back here come tomorrow's Moonrising." West nodded towards Junco in acknowledgement before passing on by her, making her way back across the bridge in the mirrored direction Junco had come from, leaving the she-cat alone in her own thoughts. Tomorrow Moonrising. As far as she knew she would be killed,
but what other option did she have?
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Luckily for Junco, West hadn't been as harsh on her as she had originally expected. While she didn't let her return back to The Kin due to her ''crimes'', Junco was allowed back on the territory, reforming her place back into the clan after the rebellion. West had taken her sacrifice of the bird skull as an eventual peace offering, despite seeing it as a hint of hostility before, that Junco had tried to use it to lower her defences. Junco had been influenced by the ancestors of The Kin who walked through Narrow Paths - cats who weren't allowed through to the Overseers due to their own crimes or beliefs during their lifetime. Disagreement with the leaders of The Kin had led to Junco turning to those of Narrow Paths for assistance, buying into what they had fed her with. She hasn't completely left these spirits, occasionally talking to them due to emotional attachment, just how she will most likely never be apart of The Kin again. Neither her nor West are willing to take that step into reintroducing her into the clan, she stands as an Outsider that assists those inside, not one with The Kin.
Junco did end up helping around camp, repairing the damages and was even allowed to tend for the kits: they adored her and became fascinated with the bird skulls due to her, constantly asking for her to bring them one. She refuses, of course, as it had been denoted to a symbol of rebellion rather than one of peace. Sunflower offered Junco a place back in The Kin, a chance for him to talk to West into considering her back into The Kin, but she humbly refused, still not mentally prepared to throw herself back into a clan-like situation after taking care of herself for a such a lot time. She still distances herself from cats now and again, often seen around the kits, bringing up a positive influence on them, a new start on what she once ruined.
Maybe one day everything will seal back over and she can live with The Kin again, act towards taking care of the kits.
Maybe one day she won't be reliant on those who walk through Narrow Paths.
Maybe, just maybe, her and West will finally put their differences aside.
Maybe.
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