A Dimmed Golden Horizon & A Flying Rook | p. Golden & Rook

An interesting cat, a pretty cat, came into view of the young warrior’s mismatched eyes. The solid mask of her facial fur twisted with curiosity as she caught the scent of a MoonClan cat. It didn’t seem like she was planning to do anything, though, so Rookbriar continued her approach, tail curling as an indication of good intent. “Lovely day, isn’t it? Bit hot, though, I see you’ve found a good spot to cool down! Mind if I join you for a bit?” She remained about a tail-length and a half away from the other cat, ready to simply leave if need be. After all, they’d been there first. It was only fair. That, and as a MoonClan cat, Rookbriar could only imagine the hesitation she might feel about being around a SunClan warrior.

“I’m Rookbriar, by the way! It’s nice to meet you!” She purred her perpetual enthusiasm, and hoped that her new acquaintance might understand her peaceful desire.

“Thank you!,” she chirped, taking the spot Goldenshade made for her. “I wanted to enjoy the mountain’s scenery, but, just as you’ve said, the sun seems to want to melt off all sorts of little bits of me!” She laughed easily, purring with the energy of the shared experience. Readjusting her paws so that she wouldn’t take up too much space, despite being quite small herself, but without compromising the cooling effects that the two were trying to enjoy. A fine balance to strike, but she didn’t mind. After all, who could be upset with beauty surrounding them, and a new friend?

“What about you? To be honest, I wasn’t expecting another cat out here! A pleasant surprise though, for sure! I’m glad to have someone to enjoy the mountain with.” Rookbriar’s long tail swayed easily, tip remaining curled with her pleasure. She wondered idly how she’d never seemed to notice this other cat at any Gatherings. Maybe they just hadn’t gone to any at the same time. Her appearance was striking, after all, and so very unique.

She nodded enthusiastically. “Ooh, I know how you feel! I’ve been a warrior for six moons now, but I’ve never gotten the chance to be this far out until today! I’ve got to say, a cat could get used to the things the mountain has to offer,” she purred. Rookbriar wasn’t oblivious, though. Her curled ears shot up quickly as she thought about how that might feel to hear from a SunClan cat. “Oh! I prefer it as neutral territory, obviously. Otherwise, how else could we have a moment like this? It’s much nicer this way, and we don’t have to worry about territory disputes.” She purred her contentment, inhaling deeply as if trying to gather all the scents their new environment had to offer.

Well, she was trying to do that, but taking a deep breath always helped her from letting her thoughts and words get away from her. After all, she wouldn’t want to chase off Goldenshade with an unending flurry of words.

Her curled ears perked with something akin to embarrassment when she felt the brush of Goldenshade's tail across her fur. She's pretty, Rookbriar noted internally before smiling easily and giggling. “Hey, no worries! As long as neither of us fall or get hurt, there's nothing to worry about, right?” She inhaled the mountain air deeply. “Who could worry about little discomforts when there's something so great and amazing all around us?” She sighed dreamily, looking out into the landscape before them. Yeah, a cat could get used to this.

“So, Goldenshade, you've got me wondering. Do you take moments to enjoy this sort of thing when you're in MoonClan territory too? I know I always go out to the meadow and watch the flowers. I bet your home has really nice spots like that, too.”

Rookbriar nodded softly with Goldenshade’s words, listening intently and reflecting on the thought. It was almost a little sad to imagine that her temporary companion didn’t take the time for this in her own territory, but she found some little relief in her response. “Well, I hope you find a place you can really enjoy,” she purred. “I was taught from a young age to always look for little things to enjoy in any moment, but- well, obviously some places and moments are nicer than others.” She giggled with the words, eyes a little too focused on Goldenshade.

“I mean, but it makes me notice things like the way plants shift to get the most sun they can. I like to think that they like to nap in the rays as much as we do.”