𝗶𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁.
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abandoned as a helpless kit and left to the mercy of the wild, hollyhockfang's early life was marked by solitude and struggle. found and nurtur...
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frost laced the ground, morphing the marshland into a silent tapestry of stillness, blanketed with a sheet of white. where colours once swirled, they now lay baked in a shroud of delicate snow, speckled by frosted flakes that glistened with an ethereal allure.
the water, once shifting with each teasing gust of wind, was now sealed in slumber - imprisoned under the thickening mantle of ice.
coyly, shadows danced on the ghastly vast marsh. the once brackish smell had been diluted into a frigid purity, hanging crisply in the biting chill. the melody of croaking frogs, and chattering birds, now hushed into that of a breathy whisper that hummed in the quiet solemnity.
intricate patterns of frost stretched like a tangle of spider webs over bulrushes and saw grasses, and with it, painted them with a glittered shine. the few trees that dotted the terrain stood bare. their limbs lay clothed with ice, and mounds of snow.
crouched in the snow-carved alcoves and under the veils of stark twigs, a lean, graceful body blended in with the shadows of a bush. the cats fur was dark, a soft dull colour of greyish-blue, with a stark flash of white on their chest and paws.
snow fell lightly around the warrior as they tip-toed through bushes. lighttalon watched patiently. his focus trained on the prey. he jutted across the snow with a cautious and subtle step, as if gliding over a freshly froze-over lake.
ahead of him, sat a squirrel. it was oblivious of his presence, and crouched over a morsel of food that it held in its paws.
with slow movements lighttalon shifted his weight, his muscles twinged with poised readiness. he kept himself as low as possible. the cold snow tickled his stomach, but he pressed on.
he placed his paws carefully as they scoured out a path on the frost-laden ground. each stride he took was silent and well calculated.
one paw at a time: a lethal dance.
a crows call overheard pierced the air, and briefly it startled the squirrel. but the marshland resumed its silence just as swiftly as the rodents alertness melted away, and it hurried back to its chewing.
the warrior continued his methodical advance. his whiskers flicked as he parted from the depths of the bush he sheltered in. he breathed out a shallow huff while he stalked closer and closer.
his brown eyes focused on the squirrel up ahead. with his tail high, lighttalon burst into a swift sprint. the serene white of the bog blazed with a whisper of grey, as he streaked through the snow.
the squirrel, panicked by its pursuer, attempted to dart away - but the flurry and sharp precision of the warrior proved too quick, and it fell silent in his grasp. lighttalon looked up from his kill and was met with the gaze of stormneedle, who bowed his head to congratulate the warrior silently.
❝ it's getting cold, we should head back to camp, before we both turn to stiff figures out here. i don't think my ma- eaglestar, would be too impressed if she lost her deputy, and a great warrior, ❞ the deputy, stormneedle, spoke softly. with a quick jerk of his tail, he lead the way back towards camp, and lighttalon followed close behind.
