[PRP] A Change of Pace (Strongjaw/Acorn)

[belloblossom]

Strongjaw had agreed to go up into the mountain with Legend and his mates, of who she was meant to be one and she had! She had gone to the leader of MountainClan and put her paw into the mix, claiming to be a cat of the mountains with a desire to join the fight so long as Legend was allowed in. It was little surprise to her when the king of the mountain accepted Legend into their ranks, but Strongjaw found out shortly there after that she didn't have the interest in joining these mountain cats after all. Not yet, she had told Legend, promising to return when she felt ready. He'd let her go so easily - telling her to have a fine adventure. He'd seemed so nonchalant, as though she was just asking to go a few paces away and not moons of walking. Did he ever really care about where she went or what she did or did she just assume that his goofy smile was always directed at her?

She didn't feel sad as she thought she would've, when she left the mountain and back into the familiar outer wilds. She kept her distance from most loners and kept to the twoleg ruins. Some didn't feel at ease around here, because either colonies would make their homes in the two leg shelters, or because there was always the worry of Twolegs coming back to reclaim their abandoned homes.

Strongjaw feared neither Twoleg nor loner colony. She was a capable cat and she'd spent her morning curled up in a tight ball, reflecting on the warmth she missed from Legend's thick pelt from time to time, though she certainly did not miss having to clean it. She had yet to rise to greet the day, existing and appearing as a fuzzy black shadow herself. If she became hungry enough, or if, wilds forbid, someone disturbed her, she saw no reason to get up this early. @NatiStorm

 

[NatiStorm]

"Ah, what a lovely day!" Acorn trotted along with a bounce in his step as he spoke aloud to himself. Just like every other day, his own voice was all he had to keep himself company. It was okay really, most other cats drove him crazy... Or rather he drove them crazy but the semantics didn't matter. What did matter was what adventure he would find today!

Usually his adventures were just normal hunts but occasionally he would run into a predator and have to make a daring escape. Sure he'd had a few close calls but that was what kept life exciting. Acorn was sure he'd go insane if he didn't have adventures to keep his mind occupied. Unfortunately, the hunting had been plentiful and easy with no sign of bigger predators.

"Hmm. What is there around here to get into?" He wander as continued his trot. Eventually he came upon a run down twoleg nest. "Perfect!" This was worth exploring! Perhaps he could find something interesting inside. With little to no caution, Acorn entered the ruins.

"Oh wow! Look at this place!" His meow rang out as he looked around the overgrown space. "Hello! Anything scary in here?"

@belloblossom

 

[belloblossom]

Strongjaw heard him coming - he was being as loud as a badger caught in a prickle plant! Always acting as Legend's bodyguard, Strongjaw knew what to look out for as a threat and while the light steps of the tomcat coming closer didn't sound as though a bigger cat was involved, nor the way his mew was high and curious, implied any danger... well, she was on her own now and she hadn't had to fight in a very long time, since Legend's size tended to do most of the convincing when other cats had looked at her funny. Ironic, that the tomcat she'd been protecting, somehow ended up protecting her so aptly, on so much of their travels together.

With the ideal of stealth being on her side, Strongjaw picked herself up and stayed in the shadows of the ruins. She slunk over through some overgrowth along a fallen part of wall in the ruins of what was formerly, she suspected, a twoleg den. Crouching on one side, she was able to peer out of a narrow spot between the tall bracken in an attempt to survey the scene playing out before her. There! She could see the tomcat, brown and lithe, enter the ruins. He seemed to be alone, but Strongjaw had seen colonies send out prying scouts before. She wasn't going to underestimate this tomcat and she slowly began to skulk around the overgrowth, keeping to the spots where the grasses were at their tallest.

"Little brown mouse..." She growled low. "Why are you alone?" Better to ask that than if he was alone. Cats were liars more than they were honest. If she could trick this cat into revealing if he was with others, planning an ambush... But wouldn't she feel silly if all this fanfare was for nothing. Well, better safe than sorry. @NatiStorm