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Post by Solaris on Dec 31, 2022 2:57:26 GMT
Day 30 of River Moon 2021 Lost Things Are Carried Downwind
River Moon 2021
Day 30 | Newleaf
SUMMARY:
Roots departs from its home by old tunnels in search of the “stone that gleams and shines.”
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Post by Solaris on Dec 31, 2022 4:36:38 GMT
River 30, 2021“Lost things are carried downwind,” said Gorge. “At least, that’s what my father used to say when he traveled around the moors. He said he got it from older travelers.”
“Is that true?” Roots asked, eyes widened, looking up at their father’s warm, fluffy face. As Gorge smiled, his amber eyes creased into small poppy seeds.
“You know, I’m not sure. I never asked him. But the gist was that whatever you’re looking for, you can find it if you travel downwind. That’s where all the lost and forgotten things are carried—to the bottom of the hill. If you were ever lost while traveling the moors, going to lowlands could help you find your way.”
Roots struggled to keep its eyes open, its eyelids now heavy like boulders, but a question still clung to its tongue, While yawning, it asked a final question, “Have you ever felt lost?”
- - -
Pulling themself from their makeshift nest, Roots shook off the blades of grass that weaseled its way into their fur while it slept. The sun yawned its way up the sky, the remnants of the dawn’s light only a sliver above sloping hills. They blinked away the fuzziness from their gaze, straightened up, and extended a back leg.
An eagle’s screech rolled out through the plains, and sure enough, Roots found the bird passing by the sparse hollow. Though Roots could make out few details of the bird beyond its dark feathers, it wasn’t difficult to figure out what it set out to do. The eagle soared around the lowland, here and there, surveying the landscape for perhaps some kind of prey or to calculate the dive. It had a goal and a plan, two things Roots did not have.
Leaving its home, the only place it had ever lived in, was a spontaneous decision, as were most of Roots’s little adventures. But it always returned home at the end of the day. By this morning, a day would have passed since Roots saw the sunrise from the tunnel.
In the time since, Roots had wandered the moorlands, following where the winds would take them. But by the third day, the wind died down, and they found themself without a guide. It was only when Roots remembered that old saying, so many seasons ago, that lost things were found at the bottom of a hill. In this case, Roots was trying to find a place that had been buried by layers of dirt and time.
It recited Windstar’s prophecy multiple times to itself, careful not to let anyone words slip out of its mind. The message was too important to forget, and it was a task entrusted to Roots. Find the stone that gleams and shines. It couldn’t disappoint the founder of WindClan. But also… Roots had no idea where to go.
The four days of travel have not gone as well as they’d hope… They sighed, moving over to the bush where they buried their prey.
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Sigh
New Warrior
159 Posts
EST; he/him; mid-twenties
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Post by Sigh on Jan 5, 2023 13:51:34 GMT
hollow It's much nicer out here without the freezing wind.Hollow watched the circling path of a far-away eagle above her, admiring its graceful movements from the safety of a stand of tall grass. She had come to like the moors, in spite of how exposed they made her feel at times. The world felt endless when she was here. Also, potential threats were harder to miss without the trees to obstruct her view; if she was more exposed, so were they. The eagle's form diminished to a speck in the distance, and Hollow returned her gaze to the ground. The sea of green was interrupted by another dark shape—another cat, by all appearances, movements still somewhat sluggish with the weight of sleep. Probably not an immediate threat, then. Hollow was feeling relatively optimistic. She had not met any unsavory characters in her travels here yet, and if this stranger did end up being unsavory, they would hopefully be too sleepy to be dangerous. Never mind that Hollow herself was less amenable when she first woke up on any given day. With a spring in her step, Hollow left the refuge of the tall grass to make her way towards the stranger. She tried to gauge the direction of the wind; it had been notably less windy the past few days, but this morning there was the slightest current, enough for her to determine the best direction of approach. She shifted her path slightly, hoping the slight breeze would carry her scent in the other cat's direction. An ambush was never a good first impression, Hollow had discovered. Better to make her approach known well in advance. A small cluster of bushes were in the stranger's vicinity, and Hollow wondered if any other cats were lurking in the convenient shrubbery. She had been so worried about not coming off as aggressive that she hadn't even contemplated an ambush on herself, and with her recent course adjustment the wind was not in her favor for picking up any additional scents...her steps wavered slightly, but she tried to shove her worry down before it could escalate any further. She had come too far now to turn back, anyhow. "Good morning!" she called, hoping her voice did not betray her nerves. "Lovely day, isn't it?"Closer now, Hollow noticed a dejected set to the stranger's shoulders that she doubted could be attributed to mere morning grumpiness. She came to a stop a respectful distance away, clinging to the scraps of her earlier optimism. |
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Post by Solaris on Jan 6, 2023 3:00:52 GMT
River 30, 2021 | SighWhile nosing through the bush for the small mound of dirt, Roots caught a foreign cat-scent carrying from the breeze. They paused, unsure of what to make of the approaching figure, but their curiosity overpowered their hunger. Moving away from the bush, they lifted their gaze, squinting through the morning rays, and tried searching out for the stranger.
Their eyes landed upon a brown, wiry cat, standing a few tail-lengths away. Considering how the cat had the foresight to call for Roots’s attention rather than making any ambush, their intentions must have been friendly at the least. Not that it had ever met a hostile cat, but its parents were careful to warn of any aggressive rogues that might wander the moors.
Glancing up at the bright sky, dotted with fluffy clouds, Roots nodded at the cat with a cheery smile. They closed the distance between then so that they wouldn’t have to speak so loudly. “Ah, yes! It’s uh… it’s a good day for hunting! What, with the cool breeze and all. I have to say though, I much prefer the shade of a tunnel. It gets hot up on the moor. It’s not a pleasant experience.”
Then, before it could stop itself from speaking, it eyed the stranger, and asked, “this may be an odd question, but have you ever heard of a ‘mine?’”
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Sigh
New Warrior
159 Posts
EST; he/him; mid-twenties
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Post by Sigh on Jan 7, 2023 1:20:25 GMT
hollow Hollow's ears perked up with the realization that this new acquaintance was friendly and open to conversation, although she couldn't entirely understand everything they were saying. "The breeze is nice," she agreed. This part, at least, she could respond to; small talk was beginning to come more easily to her. "I was around here during the colder moons, and it was much less pleasant. I think I'd prefer a little heat." The slightest shiver racked her wiry frame with the recollection of her last blustery trip out onto the moors. The rest of the stranger's reply was harder to parse. Tunnels? Where are there tunnels out here? She shifted her gaze to the green expanse beyond them, but quickly gave up. If the tunnels were so obvious, she would have noticed them by now. "I—" Hollow paused, considering. Would it be unwise to reveal how unfamiliar she was with the landscape? Maybe, but if this stranger was already familiar with these tunnels then the advantage was there whether or not Hollow brought attention to it. But maybe bringing attention to it was dangerous— No. Stop. You already mentioned that you're a visitor, so they know you're not as well-acquainted with the area. Thus resolved, she resumed her aborted statment. "I didn't know there were tunnels around here. Actually, I don't know if I've ever been in a tunnel before."She winced. Okay, maybe you could have toned down your obliviousness a little bit. Oh well, too late now. She plowed on, hoping what she said next would distract from her admission of unfamiliarity. "Just hollows for me, which I guess is sort of like a shallow tunnel. No mines though, that I know of. Not really sure what that is." A pause. "That's my name, by the way—not mine, or tunnel, er, Hollow. Is my name. Might I ask yours?"So much for getting better at small talk. |
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Post by Solaris on Jan 8, 2023 23:41:32 GMT
River 30, 2021 | Sigh “Leafbares are the worst here,” Roots nodded in agreement. Being caught in a snowstorm was bad news for anyone in the moor—whether they were newcomers or not. It was lucky to be familiar with the nearest tunnel routes to run to during an emergency. “I guess the moor has the extremes of leafbare and greenleaf. But prey’s running well here.”
They fought against the urge to so much as glance at the bush that was a few tail-lengths away from them. Not that this stranger seemed the like type to steal food. Their stomach rumbled, begging them to eat breakfast. Just as Roots was about to turn tail and head to the bush, the stranger spoke again.
Its ears pricked up.
“Oh! Well, the tunnels are hidden away, if you aren’t looking in the right places. In fact, my family lives in a tunnel! Well, near the entrance of one because they’re worried about cave-ins and—” They caught themself off from saying ‘ghost.’ “—all the weird things that happens in the dark. But I’m familiar with where most of the tunnel routes are. I’ve got a mental map in my head! Most of the tunnels are disconnected though, probably to disuse. They’re mainly used as shelter.”
Was that too much? Roots checked in to see if the stranger hadn’t been bored by the burst of words. Its shoulders drooped when the stranger admitted to never hearing of a “mine”. But if it was similar to a hollow, maybe that was a start!
“I’m Roots! Nice to meet you, Hollow! Say, what are you doing out on the moor? Are you a traveler?”
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Sigh
New Warrior
159 Posts
EST; he/him; mid-twenties
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Post by Sigh on Jan 12, 2023 0:42:55 GMT
hollow "Oh, yes! Definitely good hunting here." Normally Hollow would have been more wary of breaching the topic of prey so early in an acquaintance, but the stranger seemed friendly and not especially territorial. She didn't think it would have any qualms about her hunting in this area. If anything, they seemed eager to share—information, at least. Hollow listened attentively as it went on about the tunnels and their dangers. Her nerves spiked momentarily at the mention of its family. How many cats are there out here? She hadn't noticed anyone other than the two of them, but her senses were by no means infallible. Still, after some consideration she concluded it was only a minimal risk. What purpose would a group of moor cats have to ambush her? None, presumably. Hopefully. Hollow waited until she was sure her new acquaintance was done speaking before finally replying. "Weird things? Are the tunnels very dangerous?" The prospect was disappointing; while generally risk-averse, Hollow was still quite curious, and the topic of the tunnels had definitely piqued her interest. Roots, an underground kind of name, she mused. It's nice to meet you, too! I am a traveler, I suppose. I wander, mostly without destination. Plenty of interesting places to go and folks to meet." She hoped Roots would not take that as an insult. 'Interesting' was not always looked on as a compliment, and certainly Hollow didn't always mean it that way—though she was wiser than to say so if that were the case. "I do hope I'm not interrupting anything, by the way," she added, somewhat belatedly. Just because her own wanderings were subject to her whims didn't mean those she met were quite so unrestrained. |
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Post by Solaris on Jan 16, 2023 3:46:41 GMT
River 30, 2021 | Sigh Roots pondered on Hollow’s question for a moment, and decided on an answer that would make most sense to newcomers. “Yes, the tunnels are dangerous—if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s awfully dark in there; there isn’t not much light. It’s easy to run into a dead-end or trip on a root, or even find yourself caught in a cave-in if you’re moving too fast or shouting too loudly. The tunnels are as sensitive as cats’ whiskers”
“A traveler,” they nodded, flicking an ear as the word brought up another association to mind. “The moor attracts a lot of travelers, so I hear. I’ve met a fair amount of travelers myself! I wouldn’t call myself one… well, I guess, not until now.”
It had only begun to set in just how far away Roots was from its home, and how much farther it would be if it reached its destination wherever that was. It glanced at the direction it came, somewhere far off from the hills, but it couldn’t see its family’s hill. It was far in the distance now.
Roots flushed and cast a final glance at Hollow. She seemed friendly enough based on their conversations, so what was stopping them from eating? They admitted, “I was about to eat breakfast.”
Then it hurried to the bush, digging out the dove and plopping it on the ground between it and Hollow. “Have you eaten anything yet?”
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Sigh
New Warrior
159 Posts
EST; he/him; mid-twenties
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Post by Sigh on Jan 21, 2023 21:07:34 GMT
hollow Hollow felt her eyes widen at Roots' description of the tunnels. For all that they had tempered their warning with an 'if you don't know what you're doing', the prospect of being surrounded by darkness, surrounded by the earth, at the whims of sound and speed...it was all sufficiently terrifying. Especially because Hollow, if she ever found herself in the tunnels, would not know what she was doing—and that was, apparently, where the risk lay. She shivered a little and tried to cast it out of her mind, tried to root herself in the open air and the sky above her. "I have met some others about as well," she agreed, happy to move on from discussion of the tunnels. "So you're not from this part of the moors, then?" Interesting. Hollow had assumed it was from around here, based on its knowledge of the tunnels, but the fact that it was not from specifically here here made her feel a little better; she felt as if the two of them were on more even footing. The disclosure did inspire another question however, and she hoped the answer was nothing unfortunate, like a death in the family; Roots' gazing into the distance did little to reassure her, but she asked anyway. "What is it about now that has made you a traveler?"She cringed internally at Roots' admission. "Oh, I'm sorry to have kept you," she stammered, and watched as they made their way over to a nearby bush rather hastily. Oh dear, she thought, despairingly, They must have been very hungry. She shook her head guiltily at the offered bird. "I've already eaten." Luckily for Hollow, the statement was true, but she would have said it even if it wasn't, just to alleviate some of her guilt. "Sorry again." |
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Post by Solaris on Feb 5, 2023 0:28:27 GMT
River 30, 2021 | Sigh “No,” said Roots, sweeping its tail at the shrubbery foliage surrounding them. “I live further-in from the edge of the moors. The heartland, you could say, or I guess heathland—if you’ve been there, you could see all of the heathers growing around the field, it’s very pretty in newleaf, but that’s beside the point. Here, it’s alright. There’s not nearly as many colors as I’d hope. It’s all greens and yellows and browns.”
When they were asked about what made them a traveler now, they paused, debating on whether to unload the truth on a stranger or to keep quiet about it. But the more they thought, the more they realized how much explaining they would have to do in order to make the dream and the prophecy make sense. This didn’t seem like a pleasant way to start the day. Instead, they said, “Well… you could say I had a message. From an old friend of sorts. A family friend. She asked me to look for something for her.”
Subconsciously, its ears twitched and swiveled around, trying to catch the soft pawsteps of its ghostly friends, until it remembered how far it was from the tunnels, and how bright the sun was from above. Oh. They’re not here. It would have to manage without Fieldflight or Sunchaser from here on out.
Awkwardly glancing between Hollow and the dove they’d caught, they decided to swallow her apology and make the whole interaction go away. “No worries, o-of course! Glad you have eaten already, that’s very good! No need to apologize.”
Hoping to brush aside that whole ordeal, Roots asked, “Who have you met on the moors? I wonder if I’ve seen them as well. Sometimes, you know, you see the same wanderers and travelers out on the moors after a while. You recognize their faces and all, or you remember their names.”
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Sigh
New Warrior
159 Posts
EST; he/him; mid-twenties
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Post by Sigh on Feb 9, 2023 13:22:48 GMT
hollow It would be nice to see that, Hollow thought, intrigued by Roots' description of the heathland. She had been fairly impressed by the greens and yellow and browns thus far—sure, they weren't the most exciting colors, but to her eye the moors were plenty beautiful. She could only imagine how new colors would add to that beauty. "That sounds lovely. I grew up around a more forested area, so even though these colors are the same they still seem new." She chuckled. "And I can see more of the sky."As much as Hollow was accustomed to the darkness of the forest, there was something about the openness of the sky, the endless blue, that intrigued her. Maybe that openness translated to the cats who made their home here, she mused, considering how forthcoming Roots was about its home and purpose. It was light on the details of course, but there was still more information in there than Hollow would have been willing to give about herself. She hadn't even mentioned her brothers yet, and already she was getting the vaguest sense of Roots' family. Even with the omitted details, it seemed like a great deal of personal information—though, Hollow was willing to admit to herself, she was perhaps not the best judge in that respect. "You're looking for something? Anything I could help you find?" This, at least, she felt comfortable asking for clarification on. An offer of help was hard, though not impossible, to take as a threat, and it felt like the safest route of inquiry. Though, Hollow wasn't sure how helpful she could be. "I probably can't answer any specific questions," she admitted, "But two sets of eyes and ears and noses is better than one, I'd say."Hollow tensed for a moment as Roots looked around with a renewed sense of alertness. Were they expecting someone? She didn't sense anyone coming, but there was a chance Roots was more perceptive than she was. But maybe not; the moment seemed to pass, and they hastily accepted her apology. Hollow bobbed her head awkwardly in acknowledgement, a little confused by the whole ordeal. But she still couldn't find any sign of another soul nearby, and decided to let the moment pass, for now. There were new questions to answer, anyhow. "Well, there was one cat I met a while ago, Gato? I don't know if you know them, gray, fluffy, talks a little differently than you'd expect." She smiled at the memory. "We went to the horseplace, to take a closer look at the horses. Have you been?" She thought for a moment, considering. "I'm not sure how far that is from the heathland. It's near the patch of stones that overlooks the moors." |
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Post by Solaris on Feb 23, 2023 23:56:36 GMT
River 30, 2021 | Sigh They tilted their head as Hollow spoke of her best, and they wondered what the forest must have been like. Their gaze drifted beyond the shrubbery to the dense silhouettes of the trees that marked the entrance of the forest. “I’ve actually never been to the forest before. Not really, anyway. I’ve seen it from afar, from the top of the hills. I never had the need to, I guess until now.”
“So, how do you enjoy the view?” It gestured at the sky with a tail. A cloud passed overhead, gently brushing the sun as it did. The world darkened for a moment before returning to light once more.
They thought of how to explain the dream and the prophecy, but they weren’t show how, or if they even could. It was even harder to articulate what they were trying to find, when Roots wasn’t sure either. “Well, I was trying to look for a mine. There’s a gleaming stone? Something about the mine being a place where stars die and fall. I was thinking of heading to the forest, maybe there would be someone who knows what to do?”
Feeling self-conscious of itself, its ears dropping slightly, “Sorry, sorry. I’m figuring out the message myself. It’s from, er… how do you say it… a prophecy, if you believe in those sorts of things.”
“I’ve never met Gato, but I’ve been to horseplace. It’s on the other side of the moor,” said Roots, trying to peer over the tops of the hills, but horseplace was far off in that distance. “We go there sometimes for food, for a change of scenery, to meet up with family there. The horses scare me, though…”
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Sigh
New Warrior
159 Posts
EST; he/him; mid-twenties
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Post by Sigh on Feb 26, 2023 14:53:32 GMT
hollow Hollow didn't think she'd ever met someone who'd never been to the forest before. What must it be like, not to have any ties to such a place, to see it with fresh eyes? What did her old haunt look like to someone who had never seen it before? "Well, it would definitely be an experience! Not nearly as much open space as out here." She didn't mention any of her other associations with the forest; they probably wouldn't be relevant to anyone other than her, she figured. "And I do enjoy the open space. As different as it is from what I'm used to, it's beautiful." Today especially so, the sky a dramatic blue, the air clear and light. Even with the shadow of a cloud darkening the sun momentarily, the world seemed so much brighter out here, without trees to dampen the light. There's that word again, Hollow thought. She wasn't sure what a mine was, but that didn't mean another cat familiar with the forest wouldn't know. And a gleaming stone? Dying stars? It all sounded fantastical. "There's plenty of stones in the woods, but I have yet to see one that gleams." She realized how critical that sounded. "But I'm sure someone must know! And it's a good idea to look to new places if you've already had no luck out here."Another word I'm not familiar with. "Er, I'm not sure if I know exactly what you mean by a prophecy, to be honest," she admitted, nervously. There had been a lot more admitting to not knowing things than she was usually comfortable with today. Roots hadn't seemed to know what a mine was either, but this prophecy was a whole other thing. "Yes, the horses are intimidating!" Hollow agreed enthusiastically. She was glad she was not alone in her fear. "I know they seem gentle, but they're just so large..." |
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Post by Solaris on Mar 4, 2023 23:43:23 GMT
River 30, 2021 | Sigh “So the forest is like the tunnels, then?” asked Roots, wondering what being in the forest was like. Limited space and not a lot of sunlight—that was what the tunnels were like. Though, the more Roots thought about the forest, they figured there would be more greenery than was present in the tunnels.
“If there are lots of stones in the forest, I guess I’m headed in the right direction,” said Roots. It spared another glance at the forest, as if searching for a bright beacon that announced its presence to the world. If only; alas, the forest was still densely green, and its eyes weren’t sharp enough to catch any rocks from the distance it stood at, anyway. “The forest seems big enough, I’m sure I’ll find one that gleams somewhere there. Maybe…”
“Oh you don’t know what a… prophecy is,” Roots’s whiskers twitched more with embarrassment than disappointment. Of course, she wouldn’t! She seemed a traveler, one more attuned with the world around her—like everyone else—than someone whose head was stuck in tunnels all day. They lowered their chin to their chest, wondering how to salvage the conversation or at least, to sound less eccentric as they were sure they were acting.
“It’s er…” The words died in its throat. It couldn’t think of any other excuse, at least one that made sense. So instead, Roots decided to give the only excuse it knew to say: the truth. It cautiously restarted. “Well, it’s a long story, you see, and it might not make much sense to you. But I know what I heard, and I know what I saw.”
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Sigh
New Warrior
159 Posts
EST; he/him; mid-twenties
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Post by Sigh on Mar 12, 2023 12:15:02 GMT
hollow Were the forests like the tunnels? Hollow didn't have much experience for comparison, and she'd never really thought about it that way. "I'd say somewhere in between," she finally settled on. "It's not closed off, exactly, there's just more obstacles. I guess you could say there's plenty of open space if you're willing to go through a some brambles here and there.""As for the stones, I'd definitely say there are more in the forest than out here, but for all I know there could be an even rockier place. Maybe that's what a mine is? If there's a lot of stone then falling there could definitely do some damage, even enough for a star to die, maybe. Although I don't know if stars really work that way..."Hollow trailed off and chuckled at herself. "Sorry," she apologized. "I don't really know what I'm saying. Are prophecies always so mysterious?"She would have felt more embarrassed about her tangent if not for the obvious discomfort Roots was broadcasting. Hollow had never been in the sort of position where her own lack of knowledge made her at all intimidating, even in the most minor of ways. It was an uncomfortable position. "I believe you, even if I'm not sure exactly what I'm believing. I'd be an idiot if I thought I knew everything." She thought for another moment. "But I guess knowing everything would be a little more useful right now if it could help you find your stone. Is anyone else looking for it?" |
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