Boldly go where no cat, etc etc [open]

Fawnstar felt a bit uneased in his new territory.

I mean, it wasn't necessarily a bad place to settle, on the contrary, actually. His beloved clan was more likely to prosper in the lush forest and the dense grassing. But it was the little things that set him off, like the uneven spreading of trees or the lack of undergrowth. Hell, even the amount of burrows under the ground seemed to had decreased from what DuskClan's territory had. Something about this all did just not sit right with him.

Maybe it was because he did not have Jackalgrowl to experience it with him, too. After all, she'd been by his side almost the entirety of his life. Sure, he had his kits now, but who could ever replace the cat he had fallen so deeply in love with? Fawnstar often wondered if she would ever return to the clans. Maybe her spirit had gotten lost in the snowstorm, just like her living body had. The thought scared him, not because she might be dead, but because she would never have gotten the closure she deserved.

Nevertheless, as a good leader should, Fawnstar went exploring, desperate to find little quirks, small things that would remind him of home. His ears twitched as he heard pawsteps in the distance. He raised his head slightly, his pupils dilating as a small hint of anxiety settled in his underbelly. No, Fawnstar! Stop being such a wuss, and go investigate. his mind scolded as his pelt slightly ruffled. He let out a small sigh, hesitantly heading towards the noise. Thank StarClan, it was a clanmate.

He cleared his throat slightly, his lips curling up into a friendly smile "Hello, Owlstrike."

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OOC: I came in, hope ya don't mind ^^

Pawsteps came towards her, and though Owlstrike tensed marginally, she wasn't worried. This deep into the territory, it could only be a Clanmate. And what a special Clanmate it was! "Hello, Owlstrike." meowed Fawnstar, after clearing his throat.

Well, so much for her alone time. She couldn't very well ignore the leader, now could she? No, no she couldn't, but she could very well express her displeasure at being found. "Fawnstar." she meowed respectfully, turning to face him while still standing in the sunlight. "I'm guessing Ravenspeck tattled on me and that's why you're out here."

It's not like anybody explicitly TOLD them they couldn't explore on their own. To most cats it was probably common sense to take some backup when going into the unknown, but Owlstrike knew she could handle it. She was the best fighter in the Clan after all, no matter what anybody (read: her littermates) said. "Are you gonna drag me back to camp by my scruff and lecture me on unnecessary dangers like a brand new apprentice or are you gonna join me in exploring?

Owlstrike didn't even give Fawnstar a chance to answer before she turned away and started walking. She didn't know where she was going, but at the moment she didn't care. If Fawnstar chose to follow her, fantastic. If he chose to leave her, she'd get her alone time. If he followed and tried to lecture her, well, it wouldn't be THAT hard to lose him. Probably.

In truth Owlstrike hadn't really thought Ravenspeck would tattle, not unless she'd been gone for far longer than she'd actually been. He was usually pretty good about respecting her privacy, especially when she actually requested it. It was just a coincidence that Fawnstar was in the same part of the forest as her.

Whether that was a happy coincidence or not depended on how irritated she ended up by the end of this 'adventure'. Her ears twitched behind her at the sound of pawsteps, and she allowed herself to slow to let Fawnstar catch up. He asked if she was acquainted with the area, and Owlstrike flattened her ears sheepishly. "Actually... This is the first time I've been out of camp since we arrived. I haven't... felt up to it."

A mental image of Mistbelly the last time they saw each other flashed in her mind. Fever raging, eyes crusted, voice rasped by coughing. Pain so strong it almost left her winded lanced through her chest, and Owlstrike almost wailed at how unfair it all was. Mistbelly would have loved their new home. She would have led her friends and denmates on patrols, found every little nook and cranny that could hide a threat. She would have been so great that she could have eventually become deputy and leader.

At the last moment, Owlstrike remembered that she wasn't the only one that had lost a beloved kit. Awkwardly, she cleared her throat and cast her leader a side-eyed look. "How... How are you holding up? I mean, since Jackalgrowl..." She trailed off, not wanting to give voice to the uncertain fate of Fawnstar's mate. In a horrible, horrible way, Owlstrike was lucky that the only cats she'd lost were her father and daughter. Fawnstar had lost two of his kits as well as his mate.